Councillors unite to help the vulnerable

Exceptions should be made for certain medically vulnerable people under 65 granting them access to the Senior Alert Scheme, Cork County Council has heard.

In a recent motion, Fianna Fáil Cllr Dominic Finn said personal alarms would promote independent living and could potentially save the lives of those who live alone and are medically vulnerable.

He said there are currently close to 1,200 people under 65 living in nursing homes in Ireland due to lack of community support.

The Seniors Alert Scheme, run by social inclusion organisation Pobal, provides funding for a free personal monitored alarm for a person aged 65 and older who have limited means.

Cllr Finn said he has encountered many constituents in county Cork who are medically vulnerable but do not have access to a personal alarm due to their age.

He said: “To these people living alone, it would allow them to manage long-term health conditions from their own home, and it would potentially prevent serious complications from delayed medical assistance.

“This, I believe, would actually help us to reduce hospital admissions,” added Cllr Finn.

Currently, to qualify for the scheme, a person must have limited means or resources, be over 65, and be either living alone or with another person aged over 65 with limited means. To apply, an individual must contact a community or voluntary group in their area who are registered with Pobal.

Supporting the motion was Fianna Fáil Cllr Gearóid Murphy who said extending the scope of the scheme is a “common sense measure”.

He said: “Frailty in the human condition is something which is quite subjective in many cases.

“In terms of supporting independent living, as Cllr Finn said, I think it's an excellent idea.”

Fine Gael Cllr Anthony Barry was also in support.

He said: “I don't like that 65 idea. I’m getting kind of close to it, and it's kind of making me nervous.

“We all know people that are under the age of 65 that, in certain situations, need the support.”

Social Democrats Cllr Ann Bambury added: “I think excluding people solely on the basis of age does not reflect the realities faced by many vulnerable individuals in our communities and realistically allowing a case-by-case exception would ensure that the scheme truly supports those most in need.”

Cork County Council will now write to the Department of Rural and Community Development for the consideration of Cllr Finn’s motion.

Telephone outages

Meanwhile, another motion passed by Cork County Council recently called for immediate action to address prolonged delays in telephone service repairs being experienced in the county, especially by older, more isolated individuals.

Councillor Finbarr Harrington, who represents West Cork, said some of his constituents have been left without a working landline, often their primary mode of communication, for as long as six weeks.

He said: “Recently, I received a call from an elderly lady. Her landline was out for six weeks. She had to travel down the road to get mobile coverage to make the call as there was no coverage at her home.

“For many people, this is an inconvenience, but for others, especially our elderly citizens, it's far more serious than that.”

For residents living in extremely rural areas, such as Island communities, Cllr Harrington said a landline is “not a luxury, it's a necessity”.

He said: “So many elderly residents in rural and in our island communities, they can't rely on smartphones or broadband-based calling.

“So, when the landline goes down for weeks at a time, they're left very isolated and very vulnerable in their homes.

“It leads to social isolation, it affects their mental health and well-being, and even access to their health care and their medical appointments, and in emergencies, a fall or a sudden illness, or a security concern, the ability to contact emergency services can become a matter of life and death,” said Cllr Harrington.

Cork County Council will now write to the Department of Communications, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), and Eir expressing concern over long delays in addressing phone outages.