20 |
Caring For Veterans
Leopardstown Park Hospital
by Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald Photos by Sgt Karl Byrne
O
n 19th December An
Cosantóir
visited Leopardstown Park Hospital,
Dublin, where a donation was being presented by the Association of
Irish Military Enthusiasts
(AIME) to the hospital's
residential care services
department, which looks
after the welfare and
Geoffrey, a former member of the RAF
care of former members
of the British services
resident in Ireland.
Leopardstown Park Hospital, which operates in conjunction with the HSE and other health services in south
County Dublin, was established in 1917 as a hospital and
a home for the care and treatment of soldiers disabled
or injured while serving with the British armed forces. By
the early 1970s the number of residents had decreased
to less than half its occupancy and the hospital also
began to cater for elderly patients from the surrounding
community. In 1979 a new Leopardstown Park Hospital
Committee took over the operation of the institution.
The new board faced the challenges of developing a
modern hospital that could meet the needs of the older
generation living in south-east Dublin while continuing
to fulfil its traditional role of taking care of elderly former
members of the British armed forces
Over the years the hospital has gone through major
development and has increased its patient capacity to
171. The early 1980s saw the first female patient admitted
for long-stay care after a former nurses' home was converted into the Clevis Welfare Home, which now caters
for 30 clients. A day centre was also opened at that time
that caters for
approximately
260 clients per
week, who enjoy
both social and
therapeutic
activities.
During our
visit we met
some residents
who were being
entertained by
dancers and live
piano music
An Cosantóir February 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie
and some
refreshments
as part
of their
Christmas
festivities. One
of the
residents
we met, Geoffrey, a former
member of the RAF, told
us: "I was in the last war
(WWII) but I don't consider myself a veteran even
though I'm 91. It's not a
title I want to attain yet;
it means you've given up!"
With a great spirit like that
the other residents were in
good company.
A cheque for €1,247.76,
the proceeds from AIME's
'Salute' military show, was
presented by Keith Douglas
and accepted by Ed Hillan,
chairman of the Veterans
Support Group. Ed thanked
AIME for supporting Leopardstown Park Hospital continuously for well over six
years. He finished by saying:
"There are still many Irish
people joining the British forces,
so hopefully we will still be able to look after them when
their time comes."
We met many other former members of the British
forces on the evening, most notably: Pete McWilliams
(chairman of the Republic of Ireland Branch of the RAF Association), Brian Crawford (secretary of the Irish Metropolitan Branch of the Royal British Legion), and Maj Gen (retd)
David Niall Creagh 'The O'Morchoe' CB, CBE, KLJ, (president
of the Royal British Legion in Ireland). We thank them very
much for the entertainment and hospitality.
For more information on residency or care, contact Leopardstown Park Hospital, Foxrock, Dublin 18 (phone 016601122 or email info@lph.ie), or the Royal British Legion
(http://counties.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/ireland,
phone 01-4773210 or email roi@britishlegion.org.uk).
