The first purpose-built centre for Alzheimer's sufferers in Ireland has been officially opened in the Galway/Mayo border village of Ballindine. The £375,000 facility will offer respite care to 4,000 sufferers in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
The project has been at the top of the Western Alzheimer Foundation's agenda since it was formed over four years ago.
The Minister of State with responsibility for Food Safety and Older People, Mr Tom Moffatt, officially opened the centre. He said respite care would be of great assistance to caring relatives and would reduce unnecessary admissions to institutional care.
He added that increased life expectancy would inevitably give rise to an increase in the number of people with dementia including Alzheimer's disease. "It is estimated that the prevalence rate for the illness in this country is between five and 8 per cent of those aged 65 and over," he said.
He noted that patients with the condition respond better in familiar surroundings and he commended the Western Alzheimer Foundation on adopting a "home away from home" approach at the new facility. In designing the 11-bed centre, special consideration was given to the needs of Alzheimer's patients.
Mr John Grant, chief executive of the Foundation, who was commended for his work for Alzheimer's sufferers, said that a monitoring system ensured staff could observe patients more often. He pointed out that caring for an Alzheimer's sufferer could be a long-term responsibility. There is no known cause or cure for Alzheimer's disease. Thirty-two staff, some of them funded by FAS, are employed at the centre which has been funded partly by the Department of Health.
On-going costs are met by contributions from families whose relatives are given respite, fundraising and an annual contribution from the Western Health Board.