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Donnelly, Sarah
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Donnelly, Sarah
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Donnelly, Sarah
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- PublicationFalling Through the Cracks: The case for change. Key developments and next steps for Adult Safeguarding in IrelandAdults are at risk of and experiencing harm and abuse all over Ireland, and for a variety of reasons including psychological, physical and financial abuse. According to a report commissioned by the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), entitled ‘Financial Abuse in Ireland, 2019’, 20% of adults have experienced financial abuse and physical abuse of vulnerable adults has been witnessed/suspected by 1 in 3 adults. Last year there were 11,780 safeguarding concerns received by HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams across Ireland according to the National Safeguarding Office Annual Report. This study sets out to explore how the absence of Adult Safeguarding legislation in the Irish context may be impacting on adults within the current safeguarding system from the perspective of social work practitioners, professionals or advocates who are working with them. The study seeks to shed light on how practitioners are navigating cases in the absence of primary legislation and to explore what benefits or challenges there might be should Adult Safeguarding legislation be fully enacted in the Irish context.
1244 - PublicationSubmission to Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Nursing Homes and Other Institutional Care Settings: A Framework for Examining the State's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic(2020-05-27)
; ; ; ; ; We write to propose a human rights-based framework for the examination of the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as it has concerned and continues to concern people in nursing homes and other institutional (or, ‘congregated’) care settings.376 - PublicationPosition Paper on Adult Safeguarding, Legislation, Policy and Practice(Irish Association of Social Workers, 2022-10-25)
; ; The issue of adult safeguarding is of utmost importance for social workers and for the IASW. For those adults in need of safeguarding, the support and vindication of their integrity, autonomy, and human rights, as well as their protection and safety, may be dependent in large part on the role played by state agencies and civil society. Social workers have a particularly key role to play in adult safeguarding. The present position paper has been developed in the context of emerging legislation and new structures, policies, and services. In publishing the present position paper, which now supersedes a previous paper, the IASW seeks to influence the development and implementation of appropriate legislation, policy, and practice. This is in line with human rights values and best practices and based on our unique role, expertise, and experience as social workers, as well as being influenced by the voices and needs of the people we work with and their families. This is ultimately to seek to ensure that those adults who need professional safeguarding interventions, and their loved ones, receive the best possible services and protection.189 - PublicationAre you experiencing Carer Harm? Understanding Carer HarmIf you are a family carer, ask yourself: Does the person I care for behave in a way that causes me physical injury, emotional pain, or other kind of harm? In my engagement with professionals and organisations, is my coping capacity and need for support recognized and responded to? Carer Harm is where a family carer experiences intentional or unintentional harm from the child/adult they are trying to support. This leaflet may be useful to any family carer experiencing carer harm.
54 - PublicationAdult Safeguarding and People Living with Dementia in Nursing Homes(Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) and University College Dublin, 2023-01-10)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; While there has been an increased focus on ageing in place in the Irish context, for some people, including people living with dementia (PLWD), nursing home care may be required to adequately meet their care needs as their dementia progresses and care needs increase. Nursing homes are the homes of many PLWD who, despite their frailty and health problems (including dementia), should be supported to enjoy a good quality of life, maintain, and develop relationships, and contribute to society (ADI, 2013).517 - Publication'I'd prefer to stay at home but I don't have a choice': Meeting Older People's Preference for Care: Policy, but what about practice?(University College Dublin. School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, 2016-06-03)
; ; ; Background: Research indicates that most older people would prefer to live in their own homes and have support services provided to enable them to do so for as long as possible (Barry, 2010). However, there is an evident tension between this objective and the promotion of 'ageing in place', with the consequent heavy reliance on the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS) in the Irish context (Donnelly and O¿Loughlin, 2015). This study set out to explore the perspectives and experiences of social workers in Republic of Ireland working with older people to identify issues/barriers in accessing community supports and to examine older people's involvement in decision-making, including those with a cognitive impairment/dementia. Methods: A mixed methods study design was adapted and the study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 consisted of an on-line survey of social workers using Survey Monkey. Phase 2 consisted of in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with at least two social workers from each Community Health Office area. Results: Geographical inconsistencies were revealed in social workers ability to access community supports and clear tensions were found as home supports are only delivered within the framework of what is available. A growing emphasis on responding only to those with the most severe level of need, coupled with increased budgetary constraints, means that little or no support can be accessed through home help services to assist older people with domestic tasks.Social workers also reported that many older people with a mental health issue and/or dementia were excluded from decision-making processes related to their care. Conclusions: Older people's preference for receiving care and support in their home and community is not being realised often resulting in unnecessary or premature admission to nursing home care.1762 - PublicationCarer Harm: Best Practice Considerations for ProfessionalsThe information and guidance in this document is based on a small research project that involved interviews with 9 family carers who have experienced carer harm as well as interviews and focus groups with a range of professionals. This document was co-designed using a World Café methodology and by drawing on the emerging research findings. The information does not relate to the experiences of all family carers. For further information on this project, please contact Dr Sarah Donnelly, Assistant Professor of Social Work, School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD: sarah.donnelly@ucd.ie
114 - PublicationAre you experiencing Carer Harm? Understanding Carer Harm: AutismIf you are a family carer, ask yourself: Does the person I care for behave in a way that causes me physical injury, emotional pain, or other kind of harm? In my engagement with professionals and organisations, is my coping capacity and need for support recognized and responded to? Carer Harm is where a family carer experiences intentional or unintentional harm from the child/adult they are trying to support. This leaflet may be useful to carers of autistic adults or children
54 - PublicationUnderstanding Carer HarmThe global challenge of ageing populations and increasing numbers of people requiring care mean that by 2030, one in five Irish people will be a family caregiver (Family Carers Ireland, College of Psychiatrists of Ireland & UCD, 2019). Family Carers Ireland (FCI) research carried out in 2019 surveyed 1,102 family carers, 90% of whom were female. Almost half (44%) of carers reported that they regularly experienced either physical aggression or verbal/emotional abuse as part of their caring role. The study findings also suggested specific challenges for family carers of people living with dementia (PLWD) and autistic children/adults.
273 - PublicationSurvey of Bereaved Relatives:Voices MaJam(Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St. James's Hospital, UCD and TCD., 2017-06)
; ; ; ; End-of-life care is an experience that touches the lives of everyone on a personal or professional level. Of all people that will die in Ireland this year, 43% will die in adult acute hospital settings. Acute hospitals are busy places with a predominant focus on diagnosis, treatment and cure. However, caring for people who are seriously ill is also an important responsibility. The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St. James’s Hospital are striving to ensure that people who are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness or who die in our care, experience a place of sanctuary where they are cared for in comfort and dignity and their families are supported in their bereavement. The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St. James’s Hospital have targeted end- of-life care as an area for improving the quality of care for patients and their families. To enable this, both hospitals have actively sought to improve end-of-life care through their active participation in the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme, an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation. Measuring the quality of care provided is recognised as being fundamental to quality assurance and provides information to further enhance patient and family care. This study sought to ascertain the quality of care provided to patients and their families during their last admission to hospital from the perspective of bereaved relatives.306