Quay Celtic to host cardiac screening programme

Quay Celtic FC will host a cardiac screening programme at Clancy Park on Saturday October 31st from 9.30am to 5pm.

The event is aimed at preventing Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), which claims the lives of approximately two young people per week in Ireland.

Bookings can be made online:

1. Go to https://bookings.ameds.ie
2. Enter clinic code: celtic

Or over the phone (1890 300 333) or email screening@ameds.ie

People can use credit or debit cards to book an appointment. Anyone with LAYA is FREE but they must make a booking too. Everyone else must pay the €65 fee, which is tax deductible. Anyone with other health insurance may be able to claim a percentage back at the end of the year.

Why should you undergo a cardiac screening?

• Up to 100 young people die each year in Ireland from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS)
• 1 in 300 people may have a cardiac abnormality
• The national register recently reported that the incidents of SADS are higher in Ireland than many other European countries.
• In Italy cardiac screening is mandatory for anyone aged 12 to 35 years involved in competitive sport for the past 25 years. They have reduced the incidents of SADS by 89%.
• The GAA’s Medical Scientific and Welfare Committee and the International Rugby Board recommend cardiac screening for all players over the age of 14 years
• The European Society of Cardiology & the International Olympic Committee recommends cardiac screening.
• Heartaid’s service is based on the recommendations of the above named organisations

SOSAD to host series of public talks in Dundalk, starting this Thursday

SOSAD Dundalk will kick-off a series of free public talks this Thursday.

The first of three events at the Order of Malta Hall in Mill Street will see clinic psychologist Dr Eoin Galavan give a talk on suicide.

Then on Thursday November 5^th clinical psychologist, author and motivational speaker Tony Humphreys will address teen and adult depression.

The talks will then wrap up on Tuesday November 17^th when clinical psychologist Dr Paul Gaffney gives a talk on bereavement.

The talks take place on each night from 7pm to 9pm and all are invited to attend.

Servisource to host Basic First Aid Training Course in Dundalk

Servisource Training are inviting employers to sign up their staff for their Basic First Aid Training course in Dundalk on October 28^th and November 25^th.

All those who attend will be trained and certified as a Basic First Aider.

Servisource tailor the training to a given employee or workplace, showing them how to perform first aid for circumstances which may arise in the workplace. This course includes Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – With automated external defibrillator (AED) training.

There is also preparation and training in how to deal with life threatening injuries and symptoms such as:

• Cardiac and respiratory arrest
• Bleeding
• Burns
• Broken bones and strains
• Choking
• Chest pains
• Dizziness

The focus is on the practical aspect of the training ensuring that as much of the time as possible is spent practicing the scenarios likely to occur in a given workplace.

Contact Carol Ann Murphy on 042 93 68360 or email camurphy@servisource.ie for further information on this course.

Free CPR training course in Dundalk this Saturday

Dundalk Order of Malta are providing free CPR training to the public at their premises in Mill Street in Dundalk this Saturday from 4.30pm to 6pm.

This training is part of a national CPR awareness week run by the Order of Malta Ireland. It is called Adam’s Gift in memory of Adam McAndrew a 13 year old boy from Roscrea in Co Tipperary who passed away from sudden cardiac arrest in February of this year.

The aim of this week is to try and promote CPR in the community and help people save a life. Adam’s mum Kerry is a member of the Birr/Roscrea unit of the Order of Malta.

For more information please contact Dundalk Order of Malta on Facebook or on 0879371272 or 0879356381.

The Academy by Karen Daly to hold open evening this Tuesday night

Catriona Hughes before and after joining The Academy

The Academy by Karen Daly has proved to be a huge success since opening at 3 Jocelyn Mall in June.

Located opposite The Home Bakery, the Academy will hold an open night this Tuesday at 7pm so people can see what it’s all about. There will also be special offers and prizes on the night.

Catriona Hughes has recently joined the Academy’s health and wellness team.

Catriona is a proud wife and mum to four beautiful girls living in Jenkinstown. She began her career as a registered nurse and midwife and then spent a number of years studying and practising holistic therapies. She is qualified in reflexology, Reiki, Hopi Ear Candling, therapeutic use of oils and many more.

Having lost over 2 stone with Karen Daly in the Academy, Catriona became passionate about healthy eating and the impact food has on the body. With lots of motivation, learning and encouragement along the way she found the journey to health and happiness easier than ever and looks forward to helping others achieve their weight loss dreams. She is currently studying a Diploma in Holistic Nutrition and having completed her Academy training Catriona is excited about opening her own weekly classes.

She said: “I cannot wait to welcome people to The Academy, where they will learn so much about, food and nutrition as well as what works for their body and how to set goals and achieve them.

“I will run a half hour session at 10am every Tuesday and every second week I do a live cookery demo. This gives people an opportunity to learn new skills that will satisfy their body’s needs and help them enjoy delicious, nutritious foods forever.”

Her expertise in mindfulness of the body and soul from her holistic training fits well within the Academy teachings. Catriona will focus on helping you release the body’s natural narcotics and elevate your mind to reach your goals. Having lived with fibromyalgia for 15 years Catriona found that holistic practices helped her to alleviate symptoms overtime.

The Academy was opened in 2013 by Karen Daly founder of Slender Choice. Karen has worked for over six years in Weight Management and is completing her Masters in Weight Management this academic year. The Academy is built on a foundation of learning and fun and each week you will pick up nuggets of information that will change how you eat and live forever. The Academy teachings are all evidence based, no foods are banned and all is enjoyed in their fun, retro Academy on Jocelyn Mall!

The results speak for themselves, local lady Elaine Bates has lost almost six stone in six months with many others achieving their goals weekly. Food is the order of the day with fab recipes including chicken pie, chicken curry, Big Mac in a bowl and chicken in black bean sauce incredibly popular with members.

Catriona is so excited to begin this new journey with The Academy and you can contact her on 0868512466.

With Karen, Kathleen and Linda by her side she is ready to introduce and enlighten you on how to be the best version of you possible.

The Academy is open Tuesdays at 3 Jocelyn Mall at 10am or 7.30pm and you will receive a warm welcome and the kettle is always on.

Coffey reveals cuts to home help hours in Louth

Emma Coffey

New figures obtained by Fianna Fáil Dáil candidate for Louth/East Meath Emma Coffey have revealed that the number of home help hours available to older people in Louth have been slashed by the Government in recent years.

In response to questions from Fianna Fáil, the HSE has confirmed that Louth has suffered a cutback of 43,038 hours to home help care hours since 2010. In 2010 263,038 home help hours were made available to older people but the HSE now says that just 220,000 hours will be delivered in 2015.

The Drogheda-based solicitor, who hails from Dundalk, said: “I was shocked to learn of the extent of the cutbacks to the Home Care Package. We have seen a sustained and sneaky attack to supports for older people and people with disabilities over the past four years.  However the figures that I have obtained are the clearest sign yet that Fine Gael and Labour are eroding core medical services for older people.

“Since coming to office this Government has overseen a cutback of over 1.2m home help hours across the country. We now have 43,038 fewer home help hours available to older people in Louth when compared to 2010. This is despite the fact that there is a growing demand for services to assist older people continue living in the comfort of their own home.

“The underprovision of home help hours is just the latest example of the State not playing its part in ensuring that people who need help in the home get the services that they deserve.

“The Home Help Care Package is the best way forward to allow older people to continue living an active and fulfilling life. The availability of home help hours is a vital component of this package and it is disappointing to see Fine Gael and Labour continue targeting these supports for sustained cutbacks.

“I believe we should be putting more money into the provision of supports for older people. The withdrawal of home help hours is counter-productive. It means that many older people now have to attend hospital just to receive basic treatments that can be delivered in the comfort of their own home. This in turn is putting further pressure on our hospitals which are already chronically overcrowded.

“We should be facilitating older people to continue living active and fulfilling lives in the comfort of their own homes where they have a strong community network looking out for them. Cutting home help hours is not the way forward and with that in mind I will be campaigning for more investment in community based care services for older people,” said Emma.

Crisis deepening at Drogheda hospital as patients are sent elsewhere

Some of the ambulances that were backed up at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda earlier this week

The ongoing crisis at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda deepened last night after the hospital was taken off call.

No new patients were admitted last night due to overcrowding with medical patients being referred to Cavan and surgical patients to Blanchardstown before normal service resumed around 8am.

Earlier this week there were seven ambulances backed up at the hospital, some of whom had to wait up to four hours to admit patients due to the fact there were no trolleys for them with more than 70 patients on trolleys at the time. At present there is 71 patients on trolleys in the hospital.

Commenting on the latest development, Cllr Tomás Sharkey said the crisis was getting worse.

He added: “Now more than ever the beds and patients need to be in Louth County Hospital.”

44 on trolleys in Lourdes Hospital today

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda has the highest number of patients being treated on trolleys in the country today.

Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show there are 44 people on trolleys in the Lourdes today.

Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has the second highest at 36.

Earlier this week the hospital came in for severe criticism after seven ambulances were backed up waiting to check-in patients at the hospital due to the overcrowding problem.

Additional beds to open for general elderly rehabilitation service in Louth County Hospital

The Louth County Hospital in Dundalk

A number of additional beds are to be opened at the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk to establish a general elderly rehabilitation service.

The new service was confirmed in a statement from the HSE, which said the development is one of the measures that has been identified in helping alleviate the over-crowding situation in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

Elderly patients in Drogheda who meet the appropriate criteria will now have a period of rehabilitation in Dundalk before being discharged home.

Speaking on LMFM radio this morning, local councillor Tomás Sharkey, a member of the Regional Health Forum, welcomed the news and said he hoped it would be a stepping stone towards the full restoration of services at the Dublin Road hospital.

He said: “It’s more than five years since acute medical, intensive care and A&E services were removed from the Louth County Hospital. That has created an overcrowding crisis in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital for the last five years so when this plan comes to pass and when acute medical beds are back we’re going to see an improvement in services for patients, a reduction in the overcrowding at Our Lady of Lourdes but we’re also going to see the door open once again to keep the pressure on as a community in Dundalk and north Louth to try and get our Minor Injuries Unit to be made 24/7 and to get back A&E and intensive care.”

Sharkey calls for A&E in Dundalk to reopen after ambulance fiasco in Drogheda

Some of the ambulances that were backed up at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda yesterday afternoon

Local councillor Tomás Sharkey has called for the Accident and Emergency Department in The Louth County Hospital to be reopened immediately, insisting that it should be an election issue.

His call comes after Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda was so badly overcrowded yesterday afternoon that as many as seven ambulances were backed up waiting to check in patients for up to four hours.

Cllr Sharkey said that delays in admitting patients meant less ambulances were on the road to respond to other emergencies. The Sinn Féin representative said the first step in solving this crisis was to reopen the A&E in Dundalk.

As many as 70 patients were reported to have been on trolleys in the Lourdes Hospital yesterday with ambulance personnel unable to check patients in until a trolley for them became available.

Commenting on Facebook former local TD Arthur Morgan said: “What is happening in the Lourdes is a scandal. Both staff and patients are subject to what can only be described as abuse.”

The A&E in the Louth County Hospital was closed and replaced by a minor injuries unit on June 28th 2010.

Yesterday’s issues come just a few days after HIQA reported high risk hygiene issues in the Lourdes, which management at the hospital put down to overcrowding.