A 55-year-old man living in a Dublin nursing home has said he would be “absolutely over the moon” if he could live independently in the community.
Dublin man John Paul Doyle developed Multiple Sclerosis in 2014 and was moved from his home in County Kerry to a nursing home.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning he said he agrees wholeheartedly with the Ombudsman’s warning that younger people in nursing homes are living ‘wasted lives.’
“If I got accommodation that would make my situation better of course I would be delighted,” he said.
“I would be absolutely over the moon. I wouldn’t like to think of myself spending my life in a room being cared for others in a nursing home – it doesn’t suit me at all really.
“I would think that, overall, if I could get social accommodation in the system or in the community it would give me a life of independence in some ways.”
"Hard life"
Mr Doyle said he would need a house with adapted facilities to leave the nursing home – but noted that it is difficult to access independent living, “unless you are selected a special case or something like that.”
“Living in nursing home is a hard life,” he said. “It is not an easy life for anybody of my age group and I suppose it’s not easy for any age group.
“I am alright in my head. I have my faculties about me. I am not like some of the people that would be here. They are a lot worse off than I am and I see it that way.
“I am living here; I am happy to be in Dublin again because I am Dub so that is the priority for me and after that everything is a bonus to me.
“I spend most of my time listening to music on the iPad and I am booked into the Day Space now and again to do a bit of painting so I am involved in social activities during the day and that.
“So, I am more optimistic and I have goals set for myself but it is not my decision whether they happen or not.”
"Out of my hands"
He said he has “never heard a word” about the possibility of leaving the nursing home since he entered it.
“Nothing substantial; nothing that would say to me that, ‘now you are going to be moving out of the nursing home and into your own place,’” he said.
“I would love that; of course I would love it, but it is very difficult to achieve that – especially in Dublin.
“It is about other people’s decisions really. It is out of my hands. I can’t decide that for myself but I would love it. I would definitely love it.”
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