ALONE wins HSE Excellence Award For Innovative Support Coordination for Older Persons
Dublin, 20th December 2017 ALONE, the charity that supports older people to age at home, has been awarded the overall HSE Excellence Award for its innovative Support Coordination hub development for older people in Dublin North city and county. The award was presented to ALONE at a ceremony in Farmleigh, Dublin, on Thursday evening.
As Ireland’s aging demographic increases and one third of older people now live alone, ALONE says that new community supports and services are required to support older people throughout the day. ALONE’s ‘Innovative Support Coordination for Older Persons’ is a joint project between ALONE and the HSE which aims to keep older people living well at home for as long as possible. It addresses issues faced by older people living in their own homes and works with statutory bodies, community organisation and other service providers to ensure that the older people get the supports they need.
The Support Coordination hub model provides scalable, transferable and effective services that can be purchased, replicated, or shared. By co-ordinating and organising services for older people who might need some extra support to continue living at home or some practical help to return home from hospital, the two organisations have, to date, supported over 700 older people in Dublin North city and county.
Speaking at the HSE Excellence Awards, Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, said, “We are delighted to have won the overall HSE Excellence Award. This award recognises the high quality of our Support Coordination services and the level of care and support we offer to older people. Our plan is to continue developing this service, using the latest technology, and support 20,000 older people directly and 14,000 indirectly annually by 2022.”
“The Support Co-ordination Project in Dublin North City and County with Alone, the HSE and our colleagues in CHO 9 has supported more than 700 vulnerable older people where they needed assistance. We know that the preferred wish of older people is to remain in their own homes for as long as possible with support as needed. Our aim is to grow and develop this service and bring it nationwide by the end of 2019”, says Samantha Rayner, HSE Older Person Specialist, National Social Care.
Sean Moynihan concluded, “We want to thank the HSE for recognising the work we are doing, and to all of the volunteers and everyone who has made this project a success. It’s because of your hard work that we are able to reach so many older people, and it’s because of the quality of your work that we are being recognised and validated in such a prestigious way.”
For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of a vulnerable older person in their community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032 or visit www.alone.ie
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Watch ALONE’swinning entry here: http://www.hse.ie/eng/about/our-health-service/excellence-awards/nominees/innovative-support-coordination-for-older-persons/innovative-support-coordination-for-older-persons.html
About ALONE
2017 marks 40 years since ALONE was founded. Since then the charity has supported thousands of older people to age at home. ALONE works with those who have issues with loneliness and social isolation, lack of services, poor health, poverty, homelessness or housing. ALONE provides Support Coordination, Housing with Support, Befriending and Campaigning services to over 1,000 older people nationwide every week. ALONE’s services are quality approved and are delivered 365 days a year.
Photo Caption
Pictured at the HSE Excellence Awards are (L-R) Tony O’Brien, Director General HSE, Samantha Rayner, HSE Older Person Specialist, National Social Care, Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, Suzanne Kenny, HSE Older Persons Manager, National Social Care, Mary Walshe, Chief Officer, HSE – Dublin North City and County and Brian Lambe, Services Manager, ALONE.
For more information contact:
Maree Rigney, Limelight Communications, maree.rigney@limelight.ie, 01 668 0600, 086 3587153
Kathryn Byrne, Limelight Communications, kathryn.byrne@limelight.ie, 01 668 0600, 085 233 6033