A Roscrea councillor says there’s an “appalling” level of stress and anxiety in the area over the future of the Dean Maxwell nursing unit.
The revised National Development Plan is due to be published next month, with hopes that funding will be provided for the development of a new unit for long-stay care in the town.
The Private Secretary to the Health Minister has recently stated that the current nursing unit won’t be able to cater for long-stay beds from January onwards.
Councillor Shane Lee is hopeful that something will be done to salvage the Roscrea service:
“This just can’t happen. The stress, the anxiety, the fear that this is bringing among the people, the elderly people of this town, is absolutely appalling.
“Money shouldn’t come into having this. The Dean Maxwell home has been here for 50 years. It’s a home away from home for people in the town.
“Let’s be honest about this, the HSE has taken a stance from the outset. They put their feet down to say where their position was on this.
“And I’ve been saying this from the outset that this will be down to a political decision. And I’m confident that we’ll be able to get this over the line.”
