Twenty-five years ago ‘Friends of Clonakilty Day Care Centre’ was set up to provide the additional comforts and extras needed to ensure a meaningful and comfortable experience for the elderly members of our community and their families at the Clonakilty Day Care Centre. Sometimes an outing to the Day Care Centre may be the only interaction an elderly person may have with the outside world all week. Or, it could be the precious few hours of respite available to an overburdened carer.
In order for the continuation of the Friends of the Day Care Centre and their work, it is vital that more members of the community join the organisation.
The Day Care Centre in Clonakilty, ably run by Nurse Co-ordinator, Bernadette Edmead and her loyal co-workers, Health Carers Margaret Heffernan and Berna O’Sullivan, provides an invaluable service in our community.
Due to past fundraising and extremely generous donations and support from individuals and the local community, great things have been achieved. These range from the latest large project – the outside physiotherapy area at a cost of £30,000 – to Christmas gifts for each client, entertainment and activity programmes, blankets to keep knees warm and coloured tablewear to assist those with sensory or cognitive issues.
The next proposed project is a re-vamp of the Day Care Room. If anybody has visited Mount Carmel Community Hospital recently, they will have been impressed by the high standards of decoration and comfort provided. In order to keep up with these standards, the Day Care Centre now needs updating. A HSE-approved architect has come up with suggestions for the improvements to the room, but this all comes at a high price. While the HSE will provide some of the money required, the Friends will have to meet the large shortfall.
However, help is needed to ensure this vital voluntary service is not lost. Becoming a member of Friends of Clonakilty Day Care Centre is not a huge commitment. There are only a few meetings a year, depending on what is happening.
Anyone who is interested in joining the Friends of the Day Care Centre will be most welcome and can contact the Secretary Josie Files or any member either through the Day Care Centre on (023) 883 4606 or by email – josiefiles17@gmail.com.
