Laura Long, Account Executive, HSF Health Plan, presenting a grant of €11,709.60 to Donal Kitt, National Fundraising Manager and Eithne Walsh, Children’s Disability Network Manager, Enable Ireland.
About Enabling Ireland
Enable Ireland was founded in 1951 and is a national disability services provider operating in 14 counties across Ireland in 43 locations, providing services to children and adults with physical, sensory, intellectual disabilities and autism. The services provided include clinical and therapy services, day, residential, respite and family support services. Enable Island is now the 2nd biggest provider of children’s disabilities services in Ireland after the state itself. It supports over 13,000 children and young people, primarily with physical disabilities, while assisting individuals with multiple disabilities in every one of its service centres. The Kerry Children’s Service Centre was opened in 2007 and supports 370 children and their families and also provides adult services in Kerry.
Supporting families
Therapists, educators, and support workers collaborate closely with individuals and their families to develop personalised plans. These plans may include physiotherapy for a child with cerebral palsy, speech therapy for someone with communication difficulties, or life skills training for a young adult with intellectual disabilities. For families navigating the complexities of raising a child with a disability, Enable Ireland offers invaluable support groups and workshops, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.
Enhancing Mobility
Enable Ireland offers specialised hoists designed to facilitate safe and dignified transfers for individuals with mobility issues. The hoists are also equipped with features that provide the necessary support to staff to help them carry out their jobs with confidence and minimal risk. These safety features include secure harnesses, adjustable straps, and easy-to-use controls, ensuring that both patients and staff members are safe and comfortable during transfers.
The use of hoists attached to supporting beams on the ceiling allows individuals, including wheelchair/powerchair users and those with mobility issues, to be securely lifted from one location to another. This includes transfers from wheelchairs to beds, therapy beds, or even into hydrotherapy pools. By reducing the need for manual handling by 1-2 members of staff, these hoists promote dignity and minimise distress for individuals with disabilities while ensuring that staff can carry out their duties safely and effectively.
The Grant
The Hospital Saturday Fund presented a grant of €11,709.60 to Enable Ireland. The grant will go towards the replacement of five ceiling track hoists in specific accessible areas such as bathrooms, changing areas, by the pool and in physiotherapy rooms for Enable Ireland Kerry Children’s Services to ensure safety and dignity for service users.
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