Tag Archives: Niall Horan

CLARE’S four community hospitals are among the beneficiaries of a donation of mobile devices from singer Niall Horan. The star pledged €100,000 specifically to support older people and staff in public long term residential care to help them stay in touch with their families. The tablets purchased with the funding will be available to residents at HSE-run facilities in Ennistymon, Kilrush, Ennis and Raheen, Scariff. Niall was inspired to do so when his cousins Patricia and Caroline sent him a photo of them talking on the phone to their granny outside her window and then decided to teach her how to use FaceTime. Seeing the positive impact it’s had on his granny inspired him to do the same for other older people. “So many elderly people are feeling vulnerable and isolated now more than ever,” said Niall. “Thousands of families have needed to be pulled apart, including my own. Not only does this initiative bring them back together, face to …

CLARE GP and former Dáil deputy, Dr Michael Harty has said the while the ongoing ban on visitors to nursing homes was “a dilemma”, the time was not yet right to lift restrictions. The Kilmihil-based GP said that, despite a call from the nursing homes regulator to look at allowing visits, the overriding concern had to be keeping Covid-19 out. Earlier this week, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) called on health officials to examine ways of easing restrictions, over concern for the welfare of residents. “For elderly people, isolation from family and visitors is very restrictive,” Dr Harty said. “But, we must balance the dilemma that poses with keeping the virus out. Given the devastating impact that Coronavirus can have, the balance probably comes down in favour of the restrictions.” Noting that some nursing homes were facilitating families to see residents at their bedroom windows, or by video call, Dr Harty said that these were the preferred option …