On Monday 6th January 2020, Peamount Healthcare welcomed the first patient to the new age related rehabilitation unit, The Aberdeen Centre based at Peamount Healthcare, Newcastle, Co Dublin. The new unit will cater for patients over the age of 65 following a stroke, hip fractures or following an acute illness and will support people to return home. The opening of 12 beds on the new unit is funded the HSE Winter Capacity Fund Initiative and supported by Tallaght University Hospital, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group and HSE Community Healthcare and the commitment and dedication of all teams in Peamount Healthcare.
In her remarks, Chief Executive of Peamount Healthcare Shona Schneemann said, “The team have worked tirelessly over the past number of weeks to ensure all operational and patient care requirements have been put in place. I want to commend the staff who have committed to supporting this unit and also welcome new staff to Peamount Healthcare. We know the additional beds will greatly assist Tallaght University Hospital in managing patient flow and is a first step to ensuring that the 50 additional beds will be fully operational in 2020.”
Trevor O’Callaghan, CEO of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group welcoming the additional capacity said, “The opening of these beds is funded as part of the HSE winter capacity fund initiative. I would like to acknowledge the foresight of Tallaght University Hospital, Peamount Healthcare and our community partners in addressing the capacity challenges that exist for our hospitals, at a time when services are under particular pressure. Improving capacity in the greater Dublin area is a key enabler in the delivery of an integrated model of care which will provide continuity of patient care in the right place, and at the right time. We look forward to building on this strong collaborative relationship and improving integrated health planning with the opening of 50 additional beds in Peamount in 2020, which remains a key priority for the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.
Commenting on the opening Lucy Nugent, Chief Executive of Tallaght University Hospital said “We are delighted to see these rehabilitation beds open so early in the year, our hospital is consistently under pressure to accommodate the increasing number and acuity of patients presenting to the Hospital. By expanding the number of offsite rehabilitation beds available to TUH patients we can reduce waiting times for acutely unwell patients to move from the Emergency Department to a bed and reduce our waiting lists for elective patients to be admitted.”
The next phase of this programme includes a Community Response Team which would support older people to avoid hospital admission and expand the current Reablement Programme within the local community.
Peamount Healthcare was founded in 1912 as a Tuberculosis (TB) Sanatorium by Lady Ishbel Aberdeen on behalf of the Women’s National Health Association. With the decline in the incidence of TB in later years, more accommodation became available for other services. In 1963, at the request of the Department of Health, a residential unit for people with an intellectual disability was opened. Over time as the needs of the community changed, Peamount developed a wider range of healthcare services. The focus of the Peamount Healthcare’s current strategy is to enable individuals to live more independently through the delivery of effective health and social care services.
