THE FAMILY of a local man who recently avoided a traumatic hospital stay thanks to a pioneering local health project has called for the scheme to be protected in the long-term for the benefit of both patients and the health service.
‘Hospital at Home’ was first introduced by the Western Trust at four local care homes a few years ago, and has since been rolled out across Fermanagh.
Run by a small team of doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants, it provides short-term intensive-level care to patients with acute conditions – who would otherwise require hospital admission – in their own home, including nursing homes.
One of those patients cared for by the Hospital at Home team recently was former trade union general secretary Sean Mackell, a resident of the Graan Nursing Home in Enniskillen. Speaking to the Herald, Sean’s wife Mary Cunningham could not praise the service highly enough.
Having been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s several years ago, Sean was admitted to the Graan in November 2022, where Mary said he had been “exceptionally well cared for.”
Sean recently developed a chest infection and as he was not responding to oral antibiotics, it was feared the only option was for him to be taken out of his home at the Graan to hospital, which Mary and the team felt would be very traumatic for him as he would require admission through the emergency department.
Thankfully, Sean was able to be admitted to the Hospital at Home service instead.
To read more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald. Can’t get to the shop to collect your copy? No problem! You can download a copy straight to your device by following this link… Subscribe to current edition
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere