Mother begs the HSE for help with residential care for her son
By Hayden Moore
A MOTHER is again pleading with the HSE to provide residential care for her son after waiting more than five years for an available bed.
As previously reported in The Echo back in 2017, Debbie Brady’s son Ryan is non-verbal and has a severe intellectual disability that causes the 23-year-old to get highly frustrated in the family home.
Debbie and her son Ryan (Echo Image 2017)
Their situation has deteriorated since the last time she spoke with The Echo, with Ryan becoming increasingly aggressive – not only lashing out at his parents and younger siblings but being destructive to the house as well.
Because of Ryan’s intellectual disability, he needs constant care with everyday tasks such as feeding and washing.
But Debbie and her husband Alan, who provide care for Ryan, believe that more investment needs to be made in order to provide beds to match the demand for residential care.
“The HSE gave us a lifeline back in November when we were told that full-time residential care was in place for him in Tallaght but nothing has been done, we’re waiting on somebody who’s already in that house to leave before Ryan can go in,” she explained.
“We’re at the stage where we can’t care for him.
“We just keep getting let down and it feels like we’re losing the fight because we’ve constantly appealed to the HSE to help us and we start making some progress but then we’re just left waiting to hear back.
“They’re brilliant in John of God’s, in fairness to them, they know exactly how to care for him.”
Despite applying for full-time residential care more than five years ago, the family currently receives respite several days a week with Ryan linked in with St John of Gods services in Tallaght and Islandbridge but the worries are when Ryan gets home that he gets bored and frustrated.
“We’re just so tired and exhausted, it feels like we’re surviving but not living, if that makes sense – but what can we do?” said Debbie.
“When Ryan is having a good day, he’s real happy-go-lucky, but when he’s bad, he’s really bad.
Debbie and Alan holding a photo of Ryan
“We used to think that when he got a bit old that it’d get easier, but it’s only gotten harder because he’s getting stronger and to be honest, he’s actually starting to really hurt us now.
“He’ll be sitting beside us and we’ll go to get up but he’ll start hitting us in the arm. He doesn’t realise what he’s doing or just how strong he is – he’s a nearly six-foot tall big lad.
“He gets bored when he’s at home and that’s when he starts getting aggressive, he’s just not happy.
“All that we want is a place where Ryan can go and be happy.
She added: “It is heart-breaking. How much longer do we have to fight to get Ryan into residential care?
“I’m just so angry about it at this point because the health service has done nothing for us. How many families at risk have to struggle before something is done?”
