Gráinne Fogarty
Director of Care, Rehab Group
The health and social care division of a leading Irish disability service provider, with 75 years of expertise, extends into every community, driven by dedicated staff and the voices of people with disabilities.
Providing resource and day centres, respite, home support and residential services to thousands of people across Ireland each day, our work ensures that people with disabilities are empowered to live lives of their choosing. All our staff are focused on breaking down barriers that prevent this from happening.
In 2022 and 2023, RehabCare was represented at the prestigious Irish Healthcare Centre Awards, taking home multiple awards across several categories. It was a source of immense pride for me to see our impact honoured on a national stage. These moments are a testament to the commitment of our staff and the innovative projects and programmes we offer.
Empowering advocacy for inclusion
Advocacy is at the heart of our work. We support people in our services to be active participants in local and national advocacy committees, robustly representing their own needs and the needs of their peers on issues spanning accessible transport and employment to hidden healthcare costs.
Our teams utilise technology to ensure total equity of access.
Our teams and support staff have fully embraced the guiding principles of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, supporting the rights of people to make their own decisions — a landmark development in the Irish landscape.
Tech for independent futures
Our teams utilise technology to ensure total equity of access; we have witnessed how technology-enhanced service provision creates an environment where the people we support can gain new experiences and skills in an inclusive environment and, in turn, enhance their quality of life.
Rehab’s DAT Central, a dynamic digital and assistive technology project, is deployed across our services, offering significant benefits to the individuals we support in their homes and across our services.
These assistive technologies include voice recognition programmes and screen enlargement applications. They will include devices to empower those with limited motor skills to eat or play games independently and other devices for the home to help perform tasks such as cooking, dressing and grooming. The devices are also used to support individuals to remain connected to families and communities, and to support with training and further education.
Today, demand for our services continues to grow; we will continue to respond by working collaboratively with all of our partners and funders. As we look to the future and challenges faced by the disability sector, RehabCare will continue to provide personalised care of the highest standard while challenging stereotypes and creating a more inclusive future for all.