Sláintecare Healthy Communities in Longford launched

 

Sláintecare Healthy Communities in Longford launched by Minister Frank Feighan TD
New initiative aims to improve health and wellbeing in Longford

Press Release
5 December 2022

Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan TD launched Sláintecare Healthy Communities in Longford on Monday, 5 December in Longford County Council. The joint initiative aims to support people’s health and wellbeing with better access to services needed to help improve and promote healthier lifestyles.

Minister Feighan was welcomed to the event by Longford County Council Chief Executive Paddy Mahon and Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation Chief Officer Des O’Flynn. Health Service Executive (HSE) Sláintecare Healthy Communities Coordinator Anthony O’Prey and Longford County Council Sláintecare Healthy Communities Local Development Officer Patricia Forde were also in attendance.

Sláintecare Healthy Communities provides increased health and wellbeing services in Longford. The launch event highlighted new services delivered by agencies, including Longford Community Resources Limited, Employment Development Information (EDI) Centre and Lus Na Gréine Family Resource Centre. Services offered include:

  • Stop Smoking Services – Offering one to one support and access to free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches, lozenges, gum and mouth-spray) to those who wish to quit smoking.
  • We Can Quit – A friendly and supportive peer led stop smoking group delivered locally for men and women. It offers free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches, lozenges, gum and mouth-spray) to help people quit smoking and stay quit for good.
  • Social Prescribing – A Social Prescribing link worker works with individuals to reduce social isolation and link them into community activities and services.
  • Parenting Programmes – Triple P (Positive Parenting Programme) aims to promote positive caring relationships between children and their parents and to support parents in managing common behaviour and development issues through enhancing parents’ knowledge, skills and confidence.
  • Healthy Food Made Easy – Community delivery of healthy cooking and nutrition programme. It offers insight into nutrition and cookery courses that helps people to change to a healthy diet, plan meals on a budget and make easy to cook meals.
  • Making Every Contact Count – Empowering local health professionals to deliver brief interventions and advice for patients to support healthy behaviours.

Minister Feighan said, “Sláintecare Healthy Communities is a collective programme where we all work together to ensure that our communities in greatest need are supported to live longer, healthier lives. The health services cannot make these changes happen alone. To make real and lasting change we need to work together to create communities where people can thrive.  Our local community partners in Longford know better than anyone else what challenges this community faces and the strengths within it.  They have the relationships and trust of the community and will be a key to the success of this programme as they are already embedded into your community.”

At the event Longford County Council Chief Executive Paddy Mahon recognised the importance of the initiative for the area. “I am delighted to see Sláintecare Healthy Communities bringing many new supports to the people of Longford. These include new community gardens, family wellness programmes and homework clubs. They bring great opportunities to better support people in the area. I thank the HSE for their partnership with Longford County Council and for the hard work of all involved in bringing these supports into the community.”

HSE Community Health Organisation Midlands Louth Meath Chief Officer Des O’Flynn said, “I’m delighted to be involved in the launch of the Healthy Communities initiative in Longford today. By adopting an inter-agency approach, Sláintecare Healthy Communities takes a rounded, inclusive and all-encompassing view of promoting health & wellbeing in the community. I’m confident that the initiative will have positive outcomes for the community.”

For further information, check out the Sláintecare Healthy Communities section of Longfordcoco.ie and hse.ie or follow Longford County Council and HSELive on social media.

ENDS

Media queries go to Longford County Council Communications Officer via mediaenquiries@longfordcoco.ie or by calling 043 334 4217 or Ciaran Brennan HSE Communications Manager Midlands Louth Meath CHO8 email to: ciaranj.brennan@hse.ie