A stroke victim is pleading with the Health Minister to provide urgent funding to save a care service that supports 3,000 people.
Anne Coyle from Stillorgan, Co Dublin, suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage in 2005 that changed her life for ever.
The 72-year-old said: “I had three titanium clips put in my head and after the haemorrhage, three days later, I had a massive stroke which wiped out the right side of my body.
“I’ve had no use whatsoever of the right-hand side of my body.
Elderly people suffering without home help as HSE support budgets are frozen, former Minister claims"I lost everything, I lost my independence, I lost my ability to drive, obviously I lost my job as I couldn’t work anymore.
“I was a legal secretary and I couldn’t type. It was a shattering experience.”
The grandmother of six is calling on Simon Harris to inject €2million into the RehabGroup after the care provider announced its intention to give a year’s notice it was to terminate all contracts nationwide because of underfunding.
Intensive 11th-hour talks with its main funder the HSE came about after Mr Harris and Disability Minister Finian McGrath intervened following the news and discussions are set to continue this week.
Nationally, the move puts in jeopardy the future of vital services for 3,000 people with disabilities across the country – including 186 children, many with high-support needs.
Expert claims HSE is failing thousands of children suffering from undiagnosed coeliac disease
RehabCare said it urgently needs an injection of €2million to be able to continue to provide services.
Mrs Coyle added the service has been a lifeline for her in getting normality back into her life.
She said: “Everyone loves it here and without it they would be on their own.
“You can’t put into words what this means to all of us.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “Minister Harris and Minister [Finian] McGrath met with both Rehab and the HSE last week.
“Rehab and the HSE have committed to working together intensively this week with a view to making substantive progress in reaching a solution to the issues.
“Rehab have therefore agreed not to issue a notice of termination of service provision.”
