Director General of the HSE, Tony O’Brien meets hairdresser Brenda Tuite in the hair salon at Baile Mhuire Day-Care Centre while Bridie Griffin gets a treatment. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE €1.4 million Baile Mhuire Day Care Centre for the elderly was officially opened in Balloonagh, Tralee by the Director General of the Health Service Executive, Tony O’Brien on Thursday morning.
Employing 16 people, the facility opened its doors last April and it now provides a full range of care to the elderly four days a week with a view to expanding the service to five days a week from next week.
The Centre provides personal, nursing, paramedical, social and pastoral care which support older people to remain independent in their home or within their community environment, for as long as possible.
“Volunteers were instrumental in the establishment of Baile Mhuire back in 1988 and they continue to play a pivotal role in the daily running of the centre,” said the Chairman of Baile Mhuire, Aidan Kelly. “We are fortunate that we have such wonderful volunteers who give of their time so freely and generously,” he said.
Baile Mhuire came into being in the mid-1980s when there was a great need for an interim unit to provide recuperation and respite care for older people in the Tralee and surrounding areas.
A curtailment of expenditure by the health service was the motivation for Fr. Maurice Brick and the late Sr. Pius Collins, with the help of Social Action, to set about the huge task of providing such a service.
A typical day in the new day centre sees the clients of Baile Mhuire enjoy a range of activities focusing on personal care to spiritual time and light entertainment while their meals are prepared in the state-of-the-art kitchen and served in the spacious dining area.
A hard working Board of Management guarantees the smooth running of the unit but Aidan Kelly identified two dedicated stalwarts who sadly did not live to see the completion of the new centre.
“We still think of our former Chairman Tommy O’Connor and former Nurse Manager Eileen Brick. They will always live within the centre as we have named the Quiet Room after Tommy and the inner courtyard is now Eileen’s Garden,” said Aidan.
He paid tribute to everyone who contributed to the fund that has financed the development including: Bon Secours Hospital Tralee Community Fund, Mercy Order, Dormant Accounts, Rapid Funding, both capital and revenue funding from the HSE, flag days and church gate collections.
For more information about Baile Mhuire, please contact 066 7123373 or email bailemhuire@gmail.com.
Some of the users of the day care centre and staff wait for the official opening of the new Baile Mhuire day care centre on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Director General of the HSE, Tony O’Brien chats with Chairman of Baile Mhuire at the centre on Thursday morning. Photo by Dermot Crean
God rest Tommy O’Connor he would love to have been there today