Elizabeth Garner with her brother Oisin Carter
My name is Elizabeth Garner and my brother Oisin Carter attends Ability West services. He goes to the Day Centre (St. Dympna’s Portumna) during the week. He also stays overnight, 1-2 weekends a month, at Shannon Respite Portumna. Oisin has been using this service for approx. 18 years.
My experience of St Dympna’s is that it doesn’t feel like an institution, it feels like a group of friends and family. At the same time, they are always pushing to raise the bar in what they offer service users. What is lovely for me as a family member who helps with his care is that when he is in the service I never worry as I know he’s having a great time. That’s so important to me. The service is also very understanding about wider family situations. When my mum (Oisin’s primary carer) was going through cancer treatment, Gerry Blake organized extra respite and a bus pick-up from our house. It made a huge difference at a really difficult time for us.
Ability West services have had an extraordinary impact upon our lives, but especially for Oisin. Despite the fact that he has a severe learning disability, St. Dympna’s provides him with a life of his own. Oisin knows that he is totally dependent on his family, which at times can be a source of frustration. But the day centre gives him a place that is outside the family sphere, giving him a chance to make friends and create experiences outside the home in a space that is totally safe and supportive. This independence has meant that he has continued to grow and develop. I honestly can’t imagine what his life would have been like without the service. Everyone has a right to live their life to the best of their capabilities, and that is exactly what St. Dympna’s provides.
The best things for Oisin within the service are all the outings: going swimming, horse riding, visiting cafes and restaurants. These were initially things that he found confusing and sometimes hard to relate to, but the service staff are so patient that he loves them now. I also see how much Oisin is a part of village life where we live. If I’m in the local supermarket with him, people come up and say hello to him which he loves. It gives him a great sense of pride and well-being to be part of the local community. The Portumna services are really embedded in their local area.
The only improvement I can suggest is that it sometimes takes a long time for Oisin’s clothes to come home. I realised that items need to be washed, but often we get a bag of several items home which have been in the service for 6 months or more.
One of the things that really stands out for me is that Oisin brings home a homemade present every year for Mum’s birthday and Mother’s Day. You can tell that he has made something because he comes through the door beaming. I can tell he feels so pleased with himself.
My wish for Oisin is that he will always have the support to live his life to the full, and feel a sense of belonging and contributing to a community. I think that’s what we all need for our well-being! I can’t imagine our life without the services. Oisin may be the service user but in reality, his entire family are supported by Ability West.
Elizabeth Garner with her brother Oisin Carter
