'My disabled mum is being forced to retire from her day centre'

The daughter of a disabled woman has said it is cruel her mother is being "forced to retire" from the day centre she attends in Downpatrick because of her age.

Maureen Wyatt, 66, has attended the centre for adults with complex disabilities since 2009 after she suffered a brain injury following a cardiac arrest.

Ciara Burns said she had been told her mother had to leave Ardarragh Day Centre because it was only commissioned to provide support for adults aged 18-65.

The South Eastern Health Trust said a "suitable" alternative placement had been accepted by Mrs Wyatt and her family after staff worked "very closely" to support her transition to an alternative service.

Ms Burns said she did not understand why her mother had to "retire" from the centre and was concerned the move to a new centre could have a negative impact on her.

She said her mother got "amazing interaction from the day centre" and had a great group of friends.

"The staff are phenomenal," she said.

"I really, truly wouldn't want her to go anywhere else.

"She goes shopping, she plays bingo, she takes part in all sorts of table-top activities.

"They have different outings several times a year.

"I think it's very cruel that mummy has this service to fall back on, every day for 16 years, and then all of a sudden it's just not there anymore."

Ms Burns said she and her mother had "reluctantly" accepted a placement at an alternative elderly day care centre in Newcastle, but would prefer that she continues to attend Ardarragh.

"The fact that the quality of care would just continue where it's at would definitely put my mind at ease, and the continuity would suit mummy better," she said.

"With the nature of her brain injury, I don't know what way a big change like that would affect her."

Ms Burns said she had been told her mother will not have to leave Ardarragh Day Centre imminently, but it will definitely be later in 2025.

She said a referral had been made for her mother to move to an alternative day centre in Newcastle and the family was waiting to hear how many days she would be able to attend.

A disability charity told BBC News NI it was aware of hundreds of disabled people like Mrs Wyatt who have had to transition from Disability Services to Older People's Services within a health trust when they reached 65.

Nuala Toman, from Disability Action, said that usually means transitioning from receiving support specifically designed for disabled people, to accessing services catered towards the needs of older people.

"Often, the disabled person has spent many years of their lives accessing a day centre, and they have friends, they have relationships, they have activities that they enjoy, and that for them is their world, and it's also the world of their family," she said.

Ms Toman said it was an under-researched area, but the transition could be "very disruptive" and could sometimes lead to a decline in mental health and well-being.

She also questioned why someone should have to transition from a "service that is working for them".

"Older people services are designed for older people, they're not designed for disabled people."

She said the charity is calling for a "system re-think" and said disability services should be provided for life.

In 2022, South Down assembly member Colin McGrath wrote to the then Health Minister Robin Swann about Mrs Wyatt's case.

The South Eastern Trust subsequently agreed to allow Mrs Wyatt to attend the day centre for another year, beyond her 65th birthday, however this arrangement will soon end.

A spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust said it understood the situation was very upsetting for Mrs Wyatt and her family, as well as others in similar situations.

The trust said if the centre did not have an upper age limit it would lead to significant delays for younger people waiting to access it.

"Over the past year, our staff have worked very closely with Mrs Wyatt and her family to support her transition to an alternative service that will continue to meet her assessed needs," the spokesperson said.

"The trust is pleased that the suitable placement, which had been identified and offered several months ago, had now been accepted by Mrs Wyatt and her family."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said it recognised the potential for anxiety and disruption when someone was asked to transition from one support setting to another.

"Therefore, all transitions of care need to be well managed through advanced planning and early communication with the service user and, if appropriate, family carers involved in the decision-making as part of the care transition process," they said.