Uisneach Integrated Centre for Healthy Ageing opens in Mullingar
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Anne Drury, Age Friendly Ireland Older Persons Council representative (Westmeath); Dr Siobhán Kennelly, consultant geriatrician; Breege Donoghue, general manager, and Mairead Campbell, director of nursing.Image 2 of 3
Dr Siobhán Kennelly, consultant geriatrician; Eunice Emenike, clinical nurse specialist; Mary Owens, senior physiotherapist; and Aisling Reynolds, senior occupational therapist.Image 3 of 3
Kitty Hughes, Age Friendly Ireland Older Persons Council representative (Westmeath), Dr Donal Fitzsimmons, head of service; and Dr Siobhán Kennelly, consultant geriatrician.The HSE Dublin and Midlands officially opened the new Uisneach Integrated Centre for Healthy Ageing, as part of the Integrated Care Programme for Older People (ICPOP), this day last week, Thursday 5 June.
The new centre is on the grounds of St Mary’s Hospital, opposite the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar.
The ICPOP community specialist team based in the new facility provide services for older people who have complex care needs. The specialist multidisciplinary intervention helps older people maintain their independence and live well at home.
The team provides a comprehensive geriatric assessment, where members of the team work together to assess and respond to an older person’s needs. The team includes a senior physiotherapist, senior occupational therapist and a clinical nurse specialist, under the governance of a consultant geriatrician.
Kate Killeen White, regional executive officer, HSE Dublin and Midlands, stated: “The new Uisneach Centre for Healthy Ageing will support older people to maintain their health, independence, and wellbeing. The team will provide essential holistic and person-centered services to meet the unique needs of each older person referred to the centre.”
Dr Donal Fitzsimons, head of Service for Older Person Services in the midlands, officially opened the centre.
Dr Siobhán Kennelly, consultant geriatrician for Integrated Care Service for Older People Westmeath Longford said the specialist service would build on services supporting the needs of older people in the area, focusing on the integration of care between acute hospital and community services for older people.
The new Uisneach Integrated Centre for Healthy Ageing was officially launched at a conference titled ‘Transforming Ageing and Longer Lives – new horizons in the Midlands and beyond’ in Bloomfield House Hotel on 5 June.
The event heard from expert guest speakers in the field of gerontology on the burgeoning research area of healthy ageing. In the afternoon, the conference hosted representatives from the Longford Westmeath ‘Living Well’ group, which represents a number of other statutory, voluntary and community agencies who support older people to live well at home.
Age Friendly managers from Westmeath and Longford local authorities attended the event. Voluntary and community groups are integral to the working of the Uisneach Centre, ensuring independence, inclusion, and the older person is central to Integrated Care for Older People (ICPOP) in Longford Westmeath, said the HSE in a statement.