Archive for month: February, 2020

Touch-type, Read & Spell program – Interested?

February 18, 2020/in Events /by gdsi

Have your opinion on Education

February 13, 2020/in News /by gdsi

Claregalway Foroige Skipathon for DSG

February 11, 2020/in Events, News /by gdsi

Skipathon fundraiser – Feb 7th

February 6, 2020/in Events, News /by gdsi

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Down Syndrome Galway & Voices for Down Syndrome Galway

3 days ago

Into the Heart, an evening of song takes place tonight...

Soprano and Piano Duo, Helen Hancock Mark Keane will present a recital in the auditorium of Galway Community College, Moneenageisha on February 21st at 8 pm.

Admission is €12/€10 and tickets are available on the door

The program will explore themes of night and dreams emerging into love. It will include lieder by Brahms, Strauss, Mendelssohn and Schubert, French song by Fauré, and Debussy and opera arias by Handel and Mozart.

All proceeds from the concert will go to Voices for Down Syndrome Galway ... See MoreSee Less

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Down Syndrome Galway & Voices for Down Syndrome Galway

6 days ago

BOUNCE
next club night - Feb 24th Roisin Dubh ... See MoreSee Less

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Down Syndrome Galway & Voices for Down Syndrome Galway

7 days ago

Dear members,

Down Syndrome Galway has received funding from Healthy Ireland enabling us to put in place several Activities/Workshops/Programmes for our members from across the lifespan. Part of this will be establishing a Social Prescribing programme for young adults.

We would envisage that a Social Prescribing Programme for our young adult members would help to reduce feelings of social isolation and improve their overall health and wellbeing. We would aim to give young adults information and advice on groups/sessions/activities that may suit them and then support them in getting involved.

So would you like to try something new and meet new people and improve your confidence, if so we would like to hear from our members what they think we should be offering on our programme to tailor it to our member’s needs..

Below are examples of what can be offered on Social prescribing programmes;

Photography classes

Arts and creativity classes

Book club

Support group

Stress reduction workshops

Exercise classes

Please let us know if any of the above examples would interest you and if there were any other ideas that we may be able to consider.

I've attached an easy read version so our young adults can tick what they would like themselves and can let me know.

As we mentioned in a previous email, if you haven't updated your personal details with either us here at the Branch or with DSI in the last year,
we will be asking you to register so that your details can be updated as there is a new system for the Database in place.
Please register by clicking on this link:
downsyndromegalway.ie/new-parents/membership/

Only registered members can benefit from these programmes.

Kind regards

Maura Dolan

Galway Regional Resource Officer

Email: Maura.Dolan@downsyndrome.ie

Phone: 0874211345

Website: www.downsyndromegalway.ie

mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=58b628fae4&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1658508299457041071&th=1704... ... See MoreSee Less

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Down Syndrome Galway & Voices for Down Syndrome Galway

7 days ago

Have your opinion on the HSE:

The HSE are currently surveying members of the public and organisations to gather views on healthcare priorities.

Based on your responses to the DSI health care survey last year, along with issues highlighted recently by members, we have submitted an organisational response from DSI.

We have focused on difficulties and frustrations you described, such as:

• The frustration and distress caused by

• delayed diagnosis of physical conditions (hearing loss, sleep apnoea, arthritis, keratoconus)

• delayed access to healthcare and therapy services (SLT, OT, Physiotherapy, Psychology, audiology, optometry) with some services effectively unavailable for long periods.

• inappropriate or unavailable adult services (young people placed in nursing homes, or only being given one option when they leaves school)

• An overall lack of person-centred, joined-up thinking in terms of healthcare and disability services.

• The failure to put policies into practice. (For example, “New Directions” highlights the importance of adults being able to manage their own lives, yet the individualised funding project which was central to this has been watered down into a small scale pilot of personalised budgets that has to be managed within existing HSE funds and through existing HSE services)

• The pressure that a dysfunctional health and disability service puts on people with Down syndrome and their families. Family carers are an undervalued resource, and they are being pushed to breaking point and beyond by the lack of support being made available.

We suggested that as a priority the HSE needs to address:

• Staffing issues. Therapy posts unfilled. Long waiting lists for outpatient appointments and procedures. An unofficial recruitment ban in many areas which has not gone unnoticed by our members. Therapists on maternity leave, carers leave, or long term sick leave not being replaced. Posts being left vacant due to budget constraints.

• Hospital capacity issues. Not enough hospital beds, limited space to stay with sick children. Long waiting lists.

• Funding and capacity issues for disability services. Families are who need homecare support for adults with dementia being told that they are eligible for support, but there is no budget to provide it. Adults who need urgent respite or residential care being placed in nursing homes with people decades older as there are no appropriate services made available.

We also highlighted the importance of specialist Down syndrome clinics, and the need for these to be provided regionally.

Our response was a general one, based on current issues and feedback from you.

We would like to encourage everyone to also fill in an individual response, to let the HSE know your priorities for change.

The closing date for the survey is Monday 17th February.

The survey can be found on the HSE website or by following this link:

www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/hse-corporate-plan/ ... See MoreSee Less

HSE Corporate Plan – we want to hear from you - HSE.ie

www.hse.ie

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Down Syndrome Galway & Voices for Down Syndrome Galway

7 days ago

Have your opinion on Education:

DSI was represented at the recent consultation on a proposed new model of SNA allocation, along with representatives of other non -government organisations, the Department of Education & Skills, the NCSE and NEPS.

Under the proposed new model, no school will lose their current SNA allocation, with in excess of 500 schools set to have an increase in their current SNA allocation. Allowances will also be made for any school should pupil needs change or if a new pupil is enrolled in the school. There will be an appeals process within the new model if schools feel that they will have insufficient SNA support. Similarly, parents will have a formal appeal process if their child is not granted access to SNA support. Guidelines will be issued to schools and a comprehensive training programme for SNAs and schools will be initiated over the next few years.

Inspectors will monitor all schools to ensure that schools utilize their allocation correctly.

DSI will be making a submission on the proposed new model and we welcome feedback from our members to inform this.

Take a few moments to complete our survey (by Friday, February 28th) which you can access at www.surveymonkey.com/r/3JLZ2M5

For additional information, please refer to the Department of Education & Skills website www.education.ie ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Details

Address: Down Syndrome Galway Branch, PO Box 372, Galway Sorting Office, Tuam Road, Galway

General DS Branch Enquiries: Deirdre Nugent: 087-1861914, galwaydsi@gmail.com

Voices for Down Syndrome Galway Project Administrator: Carmel Hannon, 087 6448277, info@voicesforgalway.org

Galway Resource Officer: Maura Dolan, Tel:0874211345, Email: Maura.Dolan@downsyndrome.ie

Voices for Down Syndrome Galway Speech Therapy project:

Chairperson – Robert Shaw

Treasurer – Dermot Cassidy

Secretary – Olivia Williams

Other members: Donal Reddan, Alan Donohue, Rob McKune

Project Co Ordinator : Carmel Hannon

New Parent Support for the West of Galway City and County:

Eileen: eileennicdhonncha@yahoo.ie or Cola: murphycola@gmail.com

New Parent Support for the East of Galway City and County:

Position to filled

Social Committee:

Rachel Fahy, Ruth Morvan, Gráinne Ni Allúin, Caroline Concannon, Alina Mihae Zamfir, Jean McMahon, Imelda Murphy

Down Syndrome Coinbox Collector:

Ruth Morvan: ruthmorvan25@gmail.com

Website Maintenance:

Paul McCarthy

Committees

Down Syndrome Galway Branch Committee:

Pat Coyne (Chairman)

Michael O’Donnell (Treasurer)

Grainne Coyne Breathnach (Secretary)

Deirdre Nugent (Email/Mobile)

Eileen nic Dhonncha (New Parent Support/Media)

Avril Cogavin (Late Teens & Adults Interests)

Gráinne Ni Allúin, Nicolette Higgins

Down Syndrome Galway West Centre Committee:

Chairperson – Valerie Beatty

Vice Chairperson – Eileen Nic Dhonncha

Secretary – Cola Murphy – 087 7110021

Treasurer – Nicolette Higgins

Vice Treasurer – Anita O’Connor

Other Members:

Angela Cahil, James Stewart

Facebook Page and email downsyndromegalwaywest@gmail.com

Down Syndrome Galway East Centre Committee :

Chairperson – Gráinne Ní Allúin

Vice Chairperson – Tom Cleare

Treasurer –

Vice Treasurer –

Secretary – Maria Mulcahy

Other Members are part of a Sponsorship/Fundraising/Grant Application Group:

Anna Lyons, Juliet O’Brien, Evelyn Fanning, Patricia Heneghan, Bernie Cahill, Dearbhla Fadden, Deirdre Brennan, Deirdre Nugent.