Moville family strive to get more support for their dad
‘The lack of dementia support is unbelievable’
By Katie Barr
A MOVILLE family’s fight to care for their father has resulted in support being given to other local families, whose loved ones are suffering from dementia.
Last month Damien Reynolds wrote to a local politician to highlight the lack of support for dementia patients in Inishowen after his father, Tony, was diagnosed with the disease in March 2015.
Damien urgently wanted to highlight the lack of support available for dementia and Alzheimer’s suffers and their families in Inishowen.
He said there is only one doctor dealing with dementia patients throughout the whole county of Donegal and one of the biggest problems is waiting several months to get an appointment.
Damien said when they learned of his father’s diagnosis he tried to see if there were support groups available in Moville but was shocked to learn that there were none.
“It’s only when you are in the middle of this that you realise how bad it is, it really hits home then,” said the Moville man.
“Whenever daddy got diagnosed I went to see what support was available in Moville, I couldn’t believe it when I found out there was none at all. There used to be a support group in Carn for patients but that closed down some years ago I think.”
Nearest support group 65 miles away
Damien says the nearest support group for dementia suffers at present is in Donegal Town, some 65 miles from Moville. However thanks to pressure from his family, there are high hopes for a group for dementia patients and their families being established in Moville in September.
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