Nurses protest over home’s conditions
After waiting 16 years for new accommodation for residents of Kelvin Grove, Co Carlow, members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) held a two-hour lunchtime protest yesterday which they intend to escalate if alternative living conditions are not provided quickly.
Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the PNA, said plans to provide new accommodation had been “on the wall near the nurse manager’s office” since he had worked in Kelvin Grove in the late 1980s.
“Plans to provide purpose-built bungalows for the intellectually disabled of Carlow have been with the Department of Health since 1989 and because there were plans to close Kelvin Grove, little or no maintenance work has been carried out on the draughty building over the years.
“For the last 16 years, it has continued to deteriorate, it looks like a derelict building. The top floor is empty, the exercise area is totally overgrown, the bathing area is unsuitable for a hoist and so 16 patients use one bath. There is growing pressure on staff to maintain the service in these conditions.”
Kelvin Grove is the only adult residential and respite unit for Carlow’s intellectually disabled adults and Mr Kavanagh accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of appalling neglect.
He said there was no reason why the lands could not be sold and the monies raised used to provide alternative accommodation.
A statement from the HSE South-Eastern Area said it was “working actively on a project to close the existing Kelvin Grove accommodation and to provide purpose built accommodation on the grounds of St Dympna’s Hospital.”
This will consist of four independent housing units together with a fourth building which will provide for day facilities, and top of the range facilities for residents.
It said a project team has been working on the issue for the past two years and that approval has been sought from HSE headquarters for funding for the project, most likely to come from the sale of the existing grounds and building at Kelvin Grove.
In the meantime, the PNA has threatened to involve politicians and other nursing unions in protests if action is not taken by the HSE. The PNA has called on Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney to visit Kelvin Grove to see the conditions for herself.
