Published: Wednesday, 17th February, 2010 5:00pm

Rehab a 'life line' for service users

Service user Derek Smith looks over the lastest Rehab News with Eithne Kilty, manager of the Bailieboro RehabCare centre.
Pic by==: 97

"I used to leave the house at ten to seven in the morning to catch a bus to be in Cavan for nine. Now I can fall out of the bed, leave here at twenty five past eight and be in the centre for half past."

That's how Derek Smith (42) from Bailieboro described his morning routine before the new RehabCare Centre opening in the town two years ago. Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Derek said that the centre offers him a real "life-line" and he'd be lost without it.

He made the comments as Rehab and The Anglo-Celt made their last call for nominations for the 2009 Person of the Year awards, which will be presented in the Hotel Kilmore on March 25. Nominations for the awards, which is one of RehabCare's biggest annual fundraisers in the county, close this Friday.

The satellite centre in Bailieboro is one of the latest initiatives by the Rehab group in Cavan. Overall RehabCare provides services to 75 adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. As part of the Rehab group umbrella, the National Learning Network provides training to 90 people at introductory and specific skill training to facilitate entry to employment or further education and training.

In Bailieboro, 25 service users, including Derek Smith, access the day centre, which is manned by four members of staff and overseen by Bernard McVeigh, RehabCare Area Manager.

"I loved being in Cavan, but the move to Bailieboro a couple of years ago changed my life completely," says Derek. "For starters, I've an extra four hours a day, time I would have previously spent commuting. I'm now able to engage much more with people from my hometown and it's something that I love."

He continued: "There's 25 of us here at the centre and the smaller numbers mean that there's a real family atmosphere. We keep an eye out for each other. The social scene is good too. We sometimes head out in the evening time - to the theatre or to see comedy shows. The social element of the centre is really important to me."

As a child Derek had hydrocephalus (water on the brain), a condition that has affected his balance and memory. Derek's parent have both passed away and he lives alone in Bailieboro. "Only for the centre, I wouldn't be about at all."

Derek attends the centre in Bailieboro five days a week where he engages in practical skills such as cookery, gardening, computers and DIY and a range of hobbies such as drama and music. "If there's anything needs fixing in the centre, they usually ask me," he adds.

The RehabCare centre, which was developed with the help of the Health Service Executive North East region, is located in shared premises just a two minute walk from the town centre, ensuring that those who use the service are very much at the heart of the local community.

The centre's manager Eithne Kilty explains that all of the programmes on offer at the centre are designed to get service users out into the local community, whether that's by participating in equestrian skills or leisure activities at local sporting facilities, taking photos of local heritage sites as part of the camera club or exploring Cavan's beautiful lakes with the cycling club.

"We are very focused on community involvement and integration. It's very important that people in the community know about disabilities," says Eithne.

All the programme in the centre are drawn up in accordance with the service users - a mix of practical skills to support independent living, and recreational activities both internally and out in the community.

The centre's supported employment programme Workability has also helped service users to engage more with the local community. Four people from the RehabCare centre are currently in paid part-time employment and four others are on work experience in local shops and businesses.

"We're very grateful to the employers who have come on board to date, but there's more to be done," says RehabCare area manager, Bernard McVeigh. "It is hoped that in the near future, many new employers from Bailieboro will engage with the centre."

"Since the Bailieboro centre opened a couple of years ago, I've noticed a huge change in every single one of the people who attend the service," says Eithne Kilty. "It's really wonderful to see how their confidence levels have blossomed. They now feel part of the local community. The service provided by the centre has recently expanded to include a number of people who have an acquired brain injury, and we hope to further extend our acquired brain injury service in the near future. With so much happening, it's really an exciting time for all of us at the centre."

• Don't miss your last chance to nomination your Anglo-Celt/Rehab Cavan Person of the Year (coupon on page 10). Nominations close this Friday.

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