ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF HER VISIT TO THE ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF IRELAND
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF HER VISIT TO THE ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF IRELAND DAY CARE CENTRE, RAHENY
Firstly, I’d like to thank Nancy Costello for the invitation to be visit the Day Care Centre this morning – to meet with the Alzheimer sufferers – and to get an opportunity to meet you – the carers of the sufferers – who are doing so much within your limited resources – to ease the suffering of those who have the disease - and to lighten the burden on their families and carers.
Indeed, I know that many of you are involved with the association precisely because you have relatives who are Alzheimer sufferers. As such, you have the double burden of having to provide continuous care – and of seeing a loved one lose their vitality – lose the essence and colour of the character that you have come to know and love – and perhaps to depend on – as the disease gradually takes its hold – and slowly takes them away from you. I know that that cannot be a light burden to carry – that it can take its own toll on carers and family – that it can at times lead to despair and frustration.
For all of you, facilities like this Day Care Centre are essential – essential primarily as somewhere where you know the sufferer will be treated properly – and thereby giving some temporary respite from the mounting burden of care and worry. In recognising the great load that you carry – I also want to pay a warm tribute to those who organise these facilities – those who give of their precious spare time and resources to help others in need – and those who work at the Centre to make it the welcoming and hospitable place it is for the sufferers themselves. I know that it is the combination of a great deal of effort by the Committee and the supporters – and by staff at the Centre.
Great strides have been made in medical research in recent times – and the pace of discovery and development continues to increase. Ironically, it is these advances in medical research and development – advances that have greatly increased life expectancy – that have raised a new ‘problem’ of age-related disease. While, sadly, Alzheimers is still largely a mystery – we hope and pray that – with the new technologies and techniques that are constantly emerging - it may be curable and treatable someday soon. Until then we can only live in hope.
I would like to thank you again for your hospitality – for giving me the opportunity to meet you and hear your stories – and to spend some time with those who are afflicted with this distressing condition. You are doing great work – providing a badly needed service. I wish you well in that work for the future – as we all await the light at the end of that long and dark tunnel!