Vital home assistance scheme for elderly needs a ‘helping hand’

A MEETING was held in Strabane last Friday in a bid to revive a crucial community service designed to aid the elderly or anyone living with a disability locally, which was suspended this summer due to lack of funding.

GABLE ‘Helping Hands’, facilitated by Shelter NI, provided essential support to over 2,000 households, particularly those aged 65 and older, offering repairs and maintenance that enhanced home safety, security, and independence.

However, the closure of the programme has left many vulnerable individuals without a lifeline, raising concerns about their safety and wellbeing.

The meeting at Strabane Enterprise Agency, attended by service users, local politicians and representatives of the Western Health Trust, discussed potential funding options in relation to the scheme.

It was also noted throughout the meeting that the absence of the service would, in the long-run, have a negative impact on NHS waiting lists, due to the potential of service users suffering falls in the absence of hand and grab rails in their homes.

Speaking to those in attendance, Shelter NI area manager, Stella Le Poidevin, said, “Unfortunately, the scheme was put on hold five weeks ago and we now have over 50 households waiting on urgent intervention.

“Unless we secure funding, we are unable to keep the scheme going.

“Today is about discussing ways we can come together collectively to save the helping hands scheme and the waiting list continues to grow on a daily basis.”

During the 12 months from April 2023 to March 2024, more than 400 jobs were completed under Helping Hands, including the installation of 300 hand/grab rails.

A total of 71 outside spaces were power washed, 24 gutters cleaned, 41 key safes placed, 44 oil tank gauges installed, 20 solar lights fitted along with an additional 68 jobs completed that would make life easier for the beneficiary.

Mrs Le Poidevin continued, “People are willing to pay for these services but we can’t run this project without funding due to overheads in relation to paying staff and keeping vans on the road.”

In attendance at the meeting was Rhonda Allen, whose mother had availed of the service after a fall in which she broke both her arms.

She said, “GABLE is an essential service, but you don’t know you need it, until you do need it.

“They have carried out numerous jobs for my mother in recent years, however, we are currently waiting on another job to be done which will help my mum get up the stairs easier at night.

“At the minute, there has to be at least one or two people with her because she just can’t make the last two stairs on her own.

“GABLE have recently installed handrails out the back of her house, and without those, she would be stuck inside all day, where as now, she can sit in the garden and talk with the neighbours, so we are really, really grateful for the service they offer.”

Also expressing his support for the service, Senior social worker at Dromore and Trillick GP Practice, Stephen Sweeney, said he would “greatly welcome” the availability of the Helping Hands service in the Fermanagh and Tyrone areas.

“Prior to working in Dromore and Trillick GP practice, I worked in a large GP practice in Derry,” he said.

“I would have regularly referred people into GABLE’s ‘Helping Hands’ service.

“I have found the service to be very helpful in our goals around preventing ill-health and accidents for elderly patients, as well as helping them to continue to live independently in older age and with illness.”