Patients in Donegal ‘are denied basic services and it is appalling’

A new drive is underway to bolster State funding for services which heart and stroke patients in Donegal describe as their “lifeline”.

According to the Irish Heart Foundation, it is estimated that 19,000 people in Donegal are living with cardiovascular disease. For many, the support provided by the charity is the only help they receive after a life-changing heart event, heart failure, stroke or other cardiac conditions. 

The practical, social and emotional support services begin when patients leave the hospital and continue for as long as needed.  

Now local people are encouraged to ask their local representatives to sign an online pledge to ensure €1.2million in crucial annual funding is made available.

The Irish Heart Foundation currently receives just 8.6% of this to fund patient support services nationwide, which it says is inadequate to help the current volume of patients.

The services reduce costs for the State every year by supporting patients to continue living in their homes rather than requiring nursing home care or being readmitted to hospital - but only a fraction of this work is State-funded, says the charity’s Director of Advocacy and Patient Support, Chris Macey.

“Nationally, 80,000 heart and stroke patients are discharged from hospital every year, or one every seven minutes, in many cases to a bleak and uncertain future,” he said. “One in three of all stroke patients returning home are being referred into our services, whilst we are also supporting thousands of heart patients.

“These people cannot simply return to the lives they led before and desperately need the unique pathway of support services that the Irish Heart Foundation provides.

“We are doing our utmost with our resources to ensure that people can make the most of life after a stroke or heart diagnosis, but we cannot guarantee continued delivery of these services.”

Mr Macey says stroke patients leaving hospital often feel abandoned – and many heart failure patients end up in a revolving-door system where they need to be readmitted.

“Our range of services, described by patients as a lifeline, reduces the need for admission to hospitals and nursing homes. A heart disease diagnosis or stroke often leads to post-traumatic stress disorder. But our counselling is the only psychological support available to many patients. People are denied basic services and it is appalling.”

In addition to counselling, the Irish Heart Foundation provides nurse-led needs assessments, weekly support calls, back-to-work programmes, fatigue management, peer-to-peer support services, social interaction and online exercise groups. Patients also have access to a Nurse Support Line to provide medical advice.