A new €2 million 29-bed respite home for patients with Alzheimer's disease is planned for a site in Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway.
This will be the third such facility to be established in the region by the West of Ireland Alzheimer Foundation, which already operates respite centres in Athenry, Co Galway, and Ballindine, Co Mayo.
Negotiations regarding the new Galway unit have been ongoing between the Health Service Executive and the Alzheimer foundation, and a site has been secured.
The proposed home in Merlin Park, when completed, will provide over 1,500 weekly breaks to families each year. Already the foundation provides over 1,700 such breaks to those caring for family members suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Plans are also under way to extend respite centre Marian House, in Ballindine, to provide for the growing demand for the service.
A design group is working with architects Waldron & Associates in drawing up plans for the new home, and the foundation hopes planning permission for the facility will be granted before the end of the year.
"All going well, we hope to be on site early 2006 and open by the end of 2006," Noel Higgins of the foundation said.
As part of ongoing fund-raising efforts, a group called The Brudders will begin a two-day cycle from Dublin to Galway on September 8th. They plan to raise €0.5 million towards the new Galway centre.