Bluebird Care, recently announced a generous 2024 charity partnership with Age Action Ireland at Bluebird Care’s Carlow and Kilkenny offices. The partnership will see Bluebird Care supporting and working alongside Age Action Ireland to achieve fundamental change in the lives of older people.
Through both financial and homecare support, Bluebird Care helps Age Action empower older people to live full lives, as actively engaged citizens, safely in their own homes, for as long as possible.
The Bluebird Care team presented Age Action Ireland with €25,000 (twenty-five thousand euros) in support of their Care and Repair service to support and aid Age Action in their mission to achieve fundamental change in the lives of all older people by empowering them to live full lives as actively engaged citizens and to secure their rights to comprehensive high-quality services according to their changing needs. This invaluable initiative prioritises work in the homes of older people being discharged from hospital, supporting them and making sure there is a smooth transition from hospital to home.
The Care and Repair is a national service, free of charge which prioritises small DIY tasks for older individuals being discharged from hospital. It ranges from removing trip hazards in the house to installing handrails, moving furniture around or beds downstairs, and assisting in maintaining both the home and the individual’s independence. Commenting on the partnership, Jonathan Gardner CEO Bluebird Care UK & Ireland, said
We are very much looking forward to seeing the impact of this partnership in the homecare industry. For the national health system to function properly, empowering patients to live independently, away from the acute hospital setting, is crucial. “With the reassurance and support of care in the home, alongside Care and Repair teams, elderly patients can be discharged earlier. As well as reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infection, professional homecare provides the same level of care, only in a more comfortable and familiar setting.”
The Bluebird Care CEO added that Ireland’s growing ageing population, and pressure on providing long-term care and public health services, is driving unprecedented demand for private care-givers.
“Increasing numbers of elderly people prefer the option of living safely and comfortably in their own homes, and this eases pressure on other care options, and supports patient choice and quality of care,” Jonathan Gardner concludes.
Homecare is Bluebird Care’s speciality, and their locally owned and operated Bluebird Care offices work with committed care-givers in the community, who have the empathy, experience and training to become a trusted source of care and support for older and incapacitated people.
Paddy Connolly, Age Action CEO, says the team is delighted to work with Bluebird Care.
Age Action’s Care & Repair service supports older people to feel empowered and more confident when coming out of hospital, knowing their needs are looked after, and helping them navigate their surroundings with ease. We are delighted to be embarking on a program of activities with Bluebird Care to support our vital work.”
Bluebird Care provides direct care to clients on behalf of the HSE and other agencies, in addition to serving clients in a private capacity. The homecare offering is for people of all ages and varying degrees of ability, including children and adults with intellectual or physical disability, and older people living alone or recuperating.
Home and community care, with its focus on maintaining dignity and independence for people, regardless of age and ability, enhances people's life experience, benefits their families and enriches communities, Paddy Connolly of Age Action maintains.
