Dad, 84, 'under awful stress' as son's care package set to end

Alphie Lonergan is 84 years old and the primary carer for two of his adult children.

Ronan and Donall, both in their 40s, have severe learning disabilities and live at home with their father.

What was a once a three-hour care package provided by their local health trust for both sons, was cut to an hour in 2024 for one son. That package is set to end on Friday.

"Thank God I'm in good shape, physically. Mentally I'm under awful, awful stress," Alphie said, worried about how he will cope.

The Southern Health Trust apologised for the stress and worry caused to the Lonergan family but said the decision to withdraw the care package was due to a lack of social care staff.

The family live in Loughgilly, a rural part of County Armagh.

Ronan's part of the care package ended in March 2024, leading to a reduction in the time carers spent in the home.

Donall, who is also autistic and has obsessive compulsive disorder, currently has a carer come in for an hour each day to get him up and dressed.

Alphie told The Nolan Show that Donall brushes his teeth three times and checks his laces six times before he is ready for the day.

Donall and Ronan attend some day centres in nearby towns during the daytime, but at home Alphie is the sole carer.

"Donall doesn't get up until the carer arrives - you can't lift a boy in his 40s out of bed and get him up on his feet who doesn't want to do it," he added.

"I feel awful talking about them, they're two great lads.

"I love them dearly.

"The last words my wife said: 'I'm sorry about this Alphie, look after the children.'

"And that's something I'll definitely do."

Alphie has support from his two daughters, but the uncertainty is affecting the whole family.

"My two daughters were thrown in at the deep end from an early age," he said.

"They have their own children, they're trying to hold down their jobs and I have to phone them: 'Would you come down here, I'm stuck.'

"That's very stressful for them as well."

The 84-year-old is also struggling to get enough rest as Donall tends to stay up until the early hours of the morning.

"I wouldn't be sleeping that great," he said.

"He's very careful, he wouldn't do any harm. But he walks about from room to room, closing doors.

"I'm aware of it, I can't switch off."

The Southern Trust said it was having difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, especially in rural areas, but that it was working with the family.

"We continue to actively pursue a range of potential options to maintain the service for this family; including continuously reviewing rotas in the Armagh and surrounding areas to see if we can create additional capacity as well as linking with other multidisciplinary teams to seek support," it said in a statement.

"We have also checked with our staff working in other areas to see if they can do additional work in the area where this family lives, but with no uptake yet."

In November it was confirmed some social care staff would not benefit from the pay offer made to Northern Ireland healthcare workers.

The offer - aimed at avoiding industrial action – applied to doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff, but not homecare workers in the independent sector.

Funding which would have ensured they received the Real Living Wage was made available.

According to the last Census in Northern Ireland, in 2021:

• About 222,000 people (12% of residents) were providing some form of unpaid care in 2021
• About 70,000 individuals provided 50 hours or more unpaid care each week -a significant increase from the previous figure of 56,000 recorded at the last census in 2011
• People aged between 45-64 are likely to have more caring responsibilities than other age groups
• About 3,000 children under the age of 15 are carers