Alice Leahy Trust Letters to the Irish Times, News and Press

Mental Health Neglect

Madam,

– Your Editorial (April 23rd) outlined clearly how this State has completely failed our fellow citizens with mental health problems in a shameful way, and denied them their fundamental rights.

Twenty-five years ago the then Minister for Health Barry Desmond TD published the grand strategy Planning for the Future, and many patients in psychiatric hospitals were literally made homeless because no adequate community care services were provided as envisaged in the plan.

Without support many ended up on the streets. We can testify to that because we still meet many of them as they are counted among people who are still homeless today. Trust has been working in the field since 1975.

Your criticism of the latest grand strategy A Vision for Change, though it should have as a subtitle, the more things change the more they remain the same, because it continues to add to the numbers of people becoming homeless.

The most alarming thing about this cycle of betrayal of the basic human rights of people with mental health problems is that the letter I wrote to the Minister Barry Desmond TD 25 years ago, in response to his plan, I could also write to Mary Harney TD today: “Hostels and night shelters are clearly becoming dumping grounds as we prepare to empty the hospitals”, with the link between community care and the psychiatric services “only on paper.”

– Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director and Co-Founder,
Trust,
Bride Road, Dublin 8.

Alice Leahy Trust Irish Examiner, News and Press

Crystal Clear win for charity founder

By Jennifer Hough

A SOCIAL campaigner who yesterday received a lifetime achievement award for her work with homeless people has vowed to carry on for another lifetime.

Alice Leahy, the co-founder of charity TRUST, a social and health service set up in 1975, said it was a “great boost” to receive the National Health Literacy Award, which recognises healthcare professionals efforts to address health literacy problems.

She said it was not about her but about recognising the people she and her team meet everyday.

Winning opened doors for them and allowed their work to continue, she said.

Ms Leahy, who has received awards over the years for her work with society’s most disadvantaged people, said realising you had a lifetime of work done, it was also important to wake up the next morning and start all over again.

She said communicating with people in a simple way was paramount to helping them.

A big problem for people using services, she said, is the jargon they face.

“One phrase used now in relation to poverty is ‘case management’ but this is such a cold and meaningless term,” said Ms Leahy.

“To me language in use now is distancing people. We need to use simple language, and be crystal clear,” she said.

Ms Leahy, who last year published a book titled Wasting Time With People, said if we do not give our time, what is the point.

Dr Gerardine Doyle, UCD Business Schools and chairperson of the Crystal Clear Awards judging panel said Ms Leahy was chosen as her work embodies the ethos of health literacy.

“Alice’s work empowers those who are sleeping on the streets of Dublin, who have varying literacy levels, to access the services they need,” she said.

“The judges felt her willingness to communicate in non-conventional ways through personal contact, paintings, poems, uplifting magazines and books is inspirational, and we honour her for her ongoing dedication to a person-centred model of care.”

Alice Leahy Trust News and Press, Press Releases

Alice Leahy Director of TRUST first to scoop overall National Health Literacy Award

Alice Leahy, Director and Co-Founder of TRUST, the first overall winner of theCrystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009 with the other award winners at the presentation ceremony in Dublin.

Healthcare professionals acknowledged for their efforts to address health literacy problems

Press Release issued by Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009

Dublin, Monday 20th April 2009: Alice Leahy, Director of TRUST, was the first ‘Overall Winner’ at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009 today for her life’s work in combating social exclusion and providing medical related services for people who are homeless. Alice, who was appointed to the Irish Human Rights Commission in 2006, was awarded at a ceremony in Dublin. Six other organisations were also recognised for their efforts to communicate clearly with the public. Alice won the prestigious overall award for her impressive work with the charity TRUST, a non-judgmental, befriending, social and health service for people who are homeless, which she co-founded in 1975.

“Alice’s work embodies the ethos of health literacy,” said Dr. Gerardine Doyle, UCD Business Schools and chairperson of the Crystal Clear Awards judging panel. “She empowers those who are sleeping on the streets of Dublin, who have varying literacy levels, to access the services they need. The judges felt her willingness to communicate in non-conventional ways through personal contact, paintings, poems, uplifting magazines and books is inspirational and we honour her for her ongoing dedication to a person-centred model of care.”

The Crystal Clear Awards are part of the MSD/NALA Health Literacy Initiative, which is a collaborative project between the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. Over 135 entries were received this year, each one focusing on health literacy, which is a person’s ability to make sound health decisions in the context of everyday life.

Ms. Inez Bailey, Director of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), said:

“Every patient has the right to basic health information that is easy to access and understand. All the projects shortlisted for the Crystal Clear Awards should be commended for taking a patient-focused approach to communicating health matters. With over 1 in 4 Irish adults affected in some way by literacy difficulties, it is crucial that healthcare professionals communicate more clearly with their patients in order to help them to effectively manage their own health.”

Commenting at the awards lunch on behalf of the awards sponsor Dr. Neil Boyle, Managing Director, Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. said:

“Following on from the success of the first Crystal Clear Awards last year, we’re delighted to see an increase in the number of entries this year. We feel the response reflects the growing awareness among healthcare professionals of the need to think about health literacy when communicating with patients on matters concerning their health. We hope that the MSD/NALA health literacy campaign will help lead to better informed and more empowered patients.”

Some of the awards in various categories included: St. Mary’s Hospital for the ‘Lifestory Project,’ designed to help those who find it difficult to communicate due to depression or dementia, Ana Liffey Drug Project for the ‘Duck, Dive and Survive’ series of information leaflets, The Women’s Health Council for the booklet ‘Menopause: A Guide,’ St Michael’s House for the ‘Live and Let Die’ Bereavement and Loss Programme, the Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare for the ‘Let’s Talk Medication Safety’ educational booklet and the HSE Health Promotion Service for their ‘3-Week Menu Plan’ for pre-school services.

For further information on the MSD/NALA Health Literacy Initiative or the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards log onto www.healthliteracy.ie