Long-term residential care at the Dean Maxwell unit in Roscrea will end on January 1st, 2022, according to the Private Secretary to the Minister for Health.
The correspondence was issued to Roscrea Community Development Council, the RCDC, stating that new HIQA standards coming into force next year mean that long term care won’t be possible.
Efforts are continuing to get funding for a redeveloped nursing unit on the new National Development Plan.
Chair of the RCDC, John Lupton, says the relocation of Roscrea residents to Nenagh would be “unacceptable”.
“The letter from the private secretary to the Minister for Health – it would appear that they are stating that it will be closed from 2022 for long term stay patients or residents.”
“There seems to be confirmation of that and they appear to be passing the buck to the HSE basically now.”
However John Lupton, remains hopeful that funding for a new Roscrea facility will feature in the National Development Plan.
“We would have thought that it would have been considered under the Capital Development Programme. We’re still hopeful that that will take place but it’s particularly disappointing to get this letter which more or less suggests that the closure of the Dean Maxwell Unit as a long term stay unit is a fait accompli basically.”
