This coming Saturday, 04 February, 2-5 pm, we will have a get-together with survivors of a severe acquired brain injury (sABI), their families and friends in the HSE Day Care Centre in Odin’s Wood:

HSE Odins Wood Day Care Centre for Older Persons
Kildonan Road
Finglas West
Dublin11
Ph 8142505

Some friends and volunteers have come forward and are organising cakes, others are getting some friends together to play a bit of music.

The idea is to establish a regular meeting place for sABI survivors and their family and friends where we can meet, chat, exchange ideas and provide support for each other.

Everybody is welcome! – Please spread he word!

You might have heard that today the latest European Health Consumer Index (2016) was published, ranking 35 countries against a variety of criteria. The report presents some interesting and some already well-known findings. The good thing is: you can download it for free here.

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There is also a presentation available for free summarising the results.

According to the report, Ireland is having poor emergency department waiting times and ranks poorly in terms of the right to a second opinion, access to online booking of appointments, direct access to a consultant, getting a planned operation within 90 days and the equity of the health system.

Prof Björnberg said this morning on RTÉ that even if Ireland achieved its target to minimise waiting times for specialist’ appointments to 18 months this would still be the worst amongst all countries currently being considered.

According to the report, Ireland ranks well in terms of the decrease in cardiovascular disease deaths, decrease in deaths from strokes, infant deaths and better cancer survival; it also scores well with regard to access to medicines.

Pádraig is continuing to improve. This lunch time, while doing exercises with one of his PAs, sitting in his wheelchair, he managed to keep one leg up in the air and, at the same time, moving the other leg up and down. – Can you imagine how much more fun, how much more beneficial, and how much better it would be to do these exercises in a group where we could encourage one another?

The meeting next Saturday will be a start to get some social activities going. The NeuroGym and our own Day Care Centre will follow! (Still no word from the HSE with a date for a planning meeting….)