Care Box -Care and comfort packs

Description

Tipperary LCDC, through the Healthy Tipperary Initiative, has contributed to the provision of care boxes for vulnerable persons affected by Covid 19 pandemic across the South East, including County Tipperary. This initiative forms part of a broader community response from statutory and voluntary agencies involved in the Regional Emergency Management team across the South East to support vulnerable groups of people most likely to be severely affected by Covid 19. In the South East, the HSE are linking with Local Authorities who are acting as a central resource to link all vulnerable people into the volunteer structure for key service supportsCounties involved in this initiative were Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary. Care boxes were delivered to vulnerable persons in each county through the Public Health Services. The care boxes would provide essential items for those who are vulnerable and cocooning/self-isolating but would also communicate essential public health messages including minding mental wellbeing and staying well to reduce avoidable escalation of chronic condition symptoms, supporting people to document their current medications and provide a bag for medications in the case of them having to go to hospital so that they would bring them with them and reduce the medications checking burden on hospital staff if they present in emergency situation. Care boxes were packed at Moycarkey Borris Community Centre by the Community & Economic Development Section with assistance in packing and distribution around the county by Tipperary Libraries and Tipperary Civil Defence. 400 care boxes were provided across the five counties and were gratefully received.

Aim of Initiative

older adults

Who is it aimed at

older adults

Steps critical to success

1. partnership approach 5 LA & HSE CHO5
2. partnership library service & civil defence tipperary for assembly and distribtuion

Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. planning for 5 counties and agreeing content
2. distribution of materials procured centrally across 5 counties
3. took longer to progress as regional action

Outcomes / Benefits

1. support provided to most vunerable
2. provided early in pandemic when support was most required