Residential Services

Neurological Disability Service

Description of Services Provided

Peamount’s Healthcare’s philosophy of care is a holistic, client-centred, inter-disciplinary approach led by a rehabilitation consultant Dr. Jacinta McElligott. Nurses, together with members of the multi-disciplinary team from the areas of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech & Language, Nutrition & Dietetics and Social Work focus on the abilities of each individual client. Peamount Healthcare provides for the enablement and empowerment of the residents and their families to achieve their optimum potential.

Referral Process

An application form for the Neurological Disability Service must be completed and sent to the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). The multidisciplinary team (MDT) will then review the application and the client will, if suitable, be assessed at the referring institution. The assessment team will then feed back to the MDT and a decision will be made whether patient is suitable for admission or not.

Intellectual Disability Service

Developments in the late 1980s and early 1990s, based on the ‘core and cluster model’, resulted in a ‘core’ centre being established to provide a distinctive focus for this care group, together with eight residential bungalows on campus and two community houses. In recent years Peamount Housing Ltd has facilitated a number of clients to move from the Peamount campus to accommodation in nearby towns.

In 1997, Peamount responded to needs within Intellectual Disability Services by renovating and restructuring a Unit that would meet the increasing demands of age related infirmity. Cognisant of this, in 2004 Peamount commissioned a study to ascertain the dependency levels of ageing persons with an Intellectual Disability and those experiencing the onset of dementia. A study by Dr. Mary McCarron stimulated much discussion about how the organisation would respond with a dementia care strategy and ‘end of life’ care. From the study emerged recognition of the need for a Palliative Service and access to this has been facilitated through the Consultant in Palliative Care in Tallaght Hospital.

In recent years, the multi-disciplinary input into Intellectual Disability Services has increased with the addition of Physiotherapy, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Social Worker and Nutrition and Dietetics. Specialist mental health input is provided by Dr. Verena Keane, Consultant Psychiatrist in Intellectual Disability.

Services Provided

• Care of the older person – with complex needs and those who are medically fragile
• People with Alzheimer’s dementia – with high dependency needs
• Residential/Community – adults with diverse changing needs
• Services for people with challenging behavior and mental health needs / dual diagnosis
• Personal Outcome Measures used to identify person centred plans for residents
• Respite service
• Pastoral Care
• Day Service – The Day Service facility delivers a person-centred service based on a resource model.

Referral Process

Peamount Healthcare’s Intellectual Disability Service is not currently accepting referrals.

Age Related Residential Service

Services Provided

Continuing care services aim to provide an environment that promotes person-centred care and values that include respect for individuality, privacy, dignity and independence. Evidence-based health and social care is delivered by the multi-disciplinary team. Continuing care services are offered for both male and female clients in St. Patrick’s and St. Ciaran’s Units. Each unit has 23 continuing care beds.

Continuing care places are allocated to patients from several acute hospitals and from the community. All clients wishing to avail of long term care must be listed by a Consultant Geriatrician. Completed application forms are forwarded to the Director of Nursing and are prioritised and listed by the admissions team.

When a bed becomes available, and with regard to current unit dependency levels, an assessment for care will be offered by Peamount Healthcare. During the assessment process, the client and/or family will be invited to visit the unit and offered all relevant information. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, the client will be offered a placement in long-term care.

The Age Related Residential Service currently has four respite beds, two female beds located in St. Patrick’s Unit and two male respite beds in St. Ciaran’s Unit.

All application forms for respite admissions must to be completed by the Public Health Nurse and the General Practitioner and forwarded to the relevant ward in Peamount. A maximum of four weeks of respite care is allotted per client per year. Please note there is no geriatric assessment or physiotherapy service for respite patients.