The day service in Cahersiveen Hospital has been cancelled recently due to staffing issues.
Councillor Norma Moriarty raised the matter at the recent South West Regional Health Forum while asking when transport will be re-established for high-dependency clients attending the day hospital in Cahersiveen.
The Kerry county councillor from Waterville warned that if people cannot access the day service, many will become long-term residential patients.
She also claimed that temporary closures undermine trust among both families and service users.
While acknowledging that the main hospital must be fully staffed for the day service to go ahead, Cllr Moriarty said the situation shows the services are still “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
She said there already is strong demand for the day service and this is expected to increase due to the age profile of the population.
The Fianna Fáil councillor emphasised that the service is not just social, but also provides appointments and clinical care, and plays a preventative role that helps older people stay living at home.
She said the lack of travel escorts for passengers is a major barrier to restoring transport.
Cllr Moriarty called for a clear commitment that the service will be supported, maintained and properly operated.
The HSE responded that Caherciveen Social Services currently provides free transport for older people attending the Day Hospital from Caherciveen, Kells, Renard and Laharn five days a week.
They said the organisation does not currently have the capacity or drivers to extend transport to the southern Caherciveen area.
It confirmed that before Covid-19, Local Link Kerry operated a five-day-a-week wheelchair-accessible bus with a passenger assistant to clients from Waterville, Valentia, Portmagee and Ballinskelligs.
This service has not been reinstated since the day hospital closed in March 2020.
The HSE confirmed that they are in discussions with the National Transport Authority (NTA) about possible transport solutions including travel escorts.
HSE South West assured councillors that it is focused on maintaining dedicated services for older people in the area.
