A local councillor’s raised concerns regarding what appears to have been the withdrawal of Pathfinder services in Carlow and Kilkenny.
The initiative aims to facilitate the health care of those aged over 65 at their own homes where possible, avoiding a hospital setting.
But Cllr. Adrienne Wallace at last evening’s meeting of Carlow County Council says that no longer appears to be happening locally;
In a response from the HSE, KCLR News was told that as part of the Unscheduled Care Winter Plan 2025, St Luke’s General Hospital temporarily redeployed its Health and Social Care Professional staff currently assigned to the Pathfinder model to an Early Supported Discharge model for a period of four months, beginning on the 5th of January.
A spokesperson also says that this “Allows the hospital to maximise the impact of therapy resources during the winter period, ensuring timely discharge and continuity of care in the community”.
And they add that the HSE National Ambulance Service and local GPs have been advised of the redeployment.
