Dublin family pushing to increase crucial services for people living with Alzheimer's

Sunday World

6 days ago

'The Alzheimer Society's Day Care has been an absolute lifeline for us.'
Sylvia Mulhall is one of tens of thousands of Irish people living with dementia — and her family says that day services, as well as the nature of their mum's disease, has enabled the family to share her care.
Now Sylvia's daughter Jenny Tobin is calling on the government to improve funding and support for people living with the disease.
Over 64,000 people in Ireland live with dementia, with that number expected to increase in the years ahead.
On September 21 —which is World Alzheimer's Day — thousands of Irish people will come together in locations across the country to remember and honour those living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia — and the families who stand beside them every step of the way.
Alzheimer's sufferer Sylvia Mulhall with her husband Shay and daughter Caitriona
Among them will be Sylvia's loved ones, who will fundraise for the services that have made such a difference to their lives.
'The Memory Walk is another way to bring us all together as a family, to go out to try and raise awareness,' says Jenny.
'We're lucky as a family that we're bonded, and that Mam isn't a wanderer and she's happy and content.
'There are other families who have it an awful lot harder and it's to raise awareness of how prevalent Alzheimer's has become, and it's going to become more and more prevalent in years to come.'
Still, Jenny feels that more could be done by the State to support people with dementia and their loved ones.
'The services that we have now are nowhere near what they should be to look after patients with Alzheimer's,' she says.
Alzheimer's sufferer Sylvia Mulhall with her husband Shay and daughter Caitriona
News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1
'We keep raising awareness and keep trying to raise money for it — they are vital services for the families. It's vitally important to give people supports — they need a rest, a break.'
Jenny says that the fact that their mother's Alzheimer's has progressed slowly means she is cared for at home by husband Shay, who she married 57 years ago.
The couple are supported by children Jenny, Caitriona and Jimmy as well as other family members.
A day centre that Sylvia attends a few days a week has also made a huge difference.
'She lives at home with Dad, and only this last few months now, we have a carer that comes in four mornings a week.
'Three days a week, she goes to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland Day Care in Curlew Road, which is amazing. Read more
'The staff have been so welcoming and warm. It's like a home from home for us.
'They treat my Mam and all the other residents there with such dignity, care, respect, kindness.
'Every day she looks forward to going in. And my dad then gets a little bit of a break at home.
'They really have been an absolute and utter lifeline to us, mostly for Dad, because he's living there 24/7 — myself and my brother and sister are up and down all the time. It's Dad who's living the life of caring for mam, really, and they're both 81.'
Though the disease has been hard for Sylvia and her loved ones, Jenny says the family takes great joy in the fact that their mother, from Chapelizod, Dublin, is content and has fun in her days.
'We'll hop in the car, and then I'll drive up to Lucan and get her a cone or a Turkish Delight bar of chocolate, and we have a spin around, and we might drive through the Strawberry Beds, and we sing a few songs and go in through Phoenix Park and then home. That hour just settles her then in the evenings.
'She's so funny and she still has that little bit of fun and wit about her.
'She doesn't always remember my name, she doesn't always remember Caitriona's name or Jimmy.
'When she doesn't remember, we don't get upset about it — it's just the Alzheimer's. It's not her.
'Once she is happy, the four of us are extremely happy.'
Memory Walk, says Jenny, can be a bonding experience for families and carers who have a shared experience on the day.
'Everybody kind of gets each other. Everybody has empathy for each other. Some of the Alzheimer's clients can come along to the walk, and they can do, and everybody has a sense of patience.
'It's like a camaraderie, and everybody coming together for one cause and understands each other as a collective group of people together.'
Memory Walk honours, remembers, and celebrates the 64,000 people in Ireland living with dementia, along with their families and carers.
It also cherishes the memory of those who are no longer with us.
In 2024, almost 3,500 walkers participated in Memory Walk and raised over €150,000, which helped fund vital services for people with dementia, including daycare, daycare at home, family carer training, social clubs, cafés, and a national helpline.