Wexford Families Call For Urgent Plan For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities As Parents Age

A Wexford-specific group has been established as part of the national Before We Die campaign which is calling for long-term residential and care planning for people with intellectual disabilities.

The campaign is focused on one central concern facing many families — what happens to an adult with an intellectual disability when ageing parents are no longer able to provide full-time care.

Speaking on South East Radio, campaigner Jane Johnson said many parents in their 70s and 80s are still caring full-time for adult children, while families continue to face shortages in respite, home support and social care services.

Jane had planned to attend a recent national assembly for the campaign at the Helix in Dublin which attracted around one thousand people, but was unable to travel after her own care arrangements fell through.

She said the experience underlined the difficulty facing many families who want to advocate for better services but cannot leave their caring responsibilities behind.

Mayor of Wexford Councillor Vicky Barron, who attended the event, said those who are in a position to advocate have a responsibility to support families whose voices are not always heard.

The campaign is seeking a number of measures, including an emergency plan for people with intellectual disabilities living with parents over the age of 70, a statutory register of need, personal transition plans from the age of 18, changes to the housing application process and improved funding for service providers.

Jane said families now need practical solutions, including clarity on where future residential accommodation will be provided, how care services will be staffed and how people will be supported to transition into their own homes in a sensitive and planned way.

A dedicated Wexford group has now been established to focus on local needs and to lobby around services provided through Wexford County Council and the relevant HSE structures.

Parents and siblings of people with intellectual disabilities are being encouraged to get involved through the local Before We Die campaign and its WhatsApp group.