No country for old men

They say that you can judge a society by how it treats its young and its old. Last week with evidence that 188 kids died while under HSE care or remit it was clear that kids were not well served. Its the turn of the old this week with old people in a resident's home being pressured by the HSE to relocate. With the pressuring and threatening of old people the HSE shows how morally bankrupt it is.

Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Hogan has called on Health Minister Mary Harney to intervene after a third resident of Loughloe House has died since the HSE's announcement on 6 May of its plan to close the home. He described the tactics being used by the HSE to relocate residents as despicable and disgusting.

Councillor Hogan said: “A third resident of Loughloe House has passed away today. She had suffered a stroke in Loughloe House after pressure was put on her to agree to move to another home. She was transferred to Mullingar Hospital where she died in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday).

“Two residents of Loughloe House died within a week of the 6 May announcement. Relatives and staff with whom I have spoken are in no doubt that the stress caused by pressure to move out of Loughloe House was the key factor in their untimely deaths.

“Two other residents had heart attacks and another man had a stroke. Six people have now been hospitalised, three fatally, in one month. I want to extend sympathy to the three families concerned.

“We are talking about people’s lives here. Something needs to be done. I am calling for the Minister for Health Mary Harney to directly intervene and stand down the HSE’s disgusting and despicable methods of relocating residents. As Minister for Health she has a duty of care for all residents of Loughloe House.

“I have also called for an independent investigation into the methods being used by the HSE to relocate residents. Some residents have been threatened with the street if they talk to media or public representatives. Some were threatened with the door if they refused to take another bed offered to them by the HSE.

“Today I am meeting Joe Ruane, Health Manager for Longford and Westmeath. This will be my third time to meet him since the announcement was made to close Loughloe House. I am also meeting Minister for Health Mary Harney tomorrow in Leinster House. I will be raising these matters with them in a compassionate plea to stop the HSE from using such tactics, which is obviously causing huge stress and anxiety amongst the residents.”