Roscommon mother (72) pleads with HSE not to cut home help hours for profoundly disabled adult daughter

A 72 year old County Roscommon mother is pleading with the HSE not to cut home help hours for her profoundly disabled adult daughter.

Drum woman Mary Moore, who is a former winner of the Roscommon Carer of the Year, said her daughter, Martina (49), had significant additional needs, including needing to use a walker. Martina needs the walker after she broke her hip in 2020. She attends St Hilda’s Services every day in Athlone from the morning until the afternoon.

“I love her with all my heart and soul and I would do anything for her,” said Mary. Like any mother and daughter, they can have their rows, “but then she’ll tell me she loves me and I say ‘Sure I love you too’.” Currently, and until the end of this month, Mary receives one hour of home help in the morning on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. She also receives two hours on Wednesday evening and on Saturday afternoon. These hours are vital, as they give respite to Mary and allow her to do other essential jobs. These are set to be reduced to Monday and Tuesday mornings.

“For five years, I had been looking for those and now they want to leave me with just two hours in the week. They told me it’s because they have no money,” she said. “I am praying so hard that they will reconsider.” She explained that she first was informed about the cut before Christmas.

“And then they came back to me and said that they were leaving the home help in place until the end of January,” Mary said. “Martina isn’t able to walk on her own and you have to watch her all the time, because she could fall and we, myself and my husband Willie, wouldn’t be able to lift her.” She said that the HSE would prefer if Martina went into residential care. “They would do that instead of giving me the home help, but I am not putting her into a home and if I have to crawl the roads to keep her here, I will,” Mary said.

The HSE has been contacted about this matter.

Cllr John Keogh condemned the move, saying it was an “absolutely outrageous way to treat a severely disabled person and her elderly parents”.

“It is utterly shameful that the family have been put to live in fear that the home care supports will stop on January 31st,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said. “A home care package needs to be put in place for this family immediately. I will continue to work with the family and with Dr Martin Daly TD to try have this issue resolved in a satisfactory way for way family”.

Local TD Dr Martin Daly said he had raised the issue with the HSE, and he praised the “exceptional care” Mary has given to her daughter for almost 50 years.

“Disability, services are going to be a priority for his incoming government,” the Fianna Fáil TD said. “There is huge emphasis on it in the programme for government and by the Tánaiste Micheál Martin. One of the emerging challenges is the number of older parents caring for older children with special needs. We need to support these parents who are looking after their children over a long number of years. They have saved the state a lot of money and done huge service to their communities.”