Nua Healthcare

Service Types

  • Autism and Asperger Syndrome
  • Intellectual Disability Services (Children and Adults)
  • Intellectual Disability Services (Alzheimer’s and Dementia)
  • Acquired Brain Injuries
  • Challenging Behaviour
  • Personality Disorder
  • Independent Living
  • Community Outreach
  • Day Services

 

Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Nua operates several residential care homes dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum. Our team have a broad range of experience supporting Service Users who experience difficulty with social interaction, obsessive compulsive tendencies, impairments of the imagination and secondary psychiatric illnesses such as; depression and anxiety.

At Nua, we understand and recognise key difficulties individuals on the autism spectrum face on a daily basis and therefore, are acutely aware of the importance for clear communication and the use of unambiguous language.

Our staff are trained to effectively communicate with each individual, as per their specific needs and to work closely with them, furnishing them with the skills necessary to live independently, whilst taking into account and safeguarding against, any specific vulnerabilities.

A number of Nua’s adult residential care homes are accredited by the National Autistic Society’s Autism Accreditation Programme – an autism specific quality assurance programme aimed at continuously improving the quality of service provision for individual’s with Autism and Asperger Syndrome.

 

Intellectual Disability Services (Children and Adults)

Nua specialises in the provision of Residential Care, Supported Living, Community Outreach and Day Services to Children and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and complex support requirements. We pride ourselves in delivering true person-centred care for individuals in their own home or in appropriate community-based care facilities. 

Our services are delivered in line with the National Standards for Residential Services for Children and Adults with Disabilities, all associated regulations and indeed, our own Mission, Vision and Values. All Designated Centres are inspected and subsequently registered, following successful inspection, undertaken by Health Information and Quality Authority.

Our Residential Services for Children and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities include the provision of short, medium and / or long-term placements and supported living packages. We also facilitate both regularly paced referrals, and respond to where possible, emergencies, 7 days per week.

 

Intellectual Disability Services (Alzheimer’s and Dementia)

The term ‘Dementia’ is used to describe a set of symptoms that can include; memory loss, difficulty thinking, difficulty problem solving or issues with language. Dementia is caused by damage to the brain cells, and because Alzheimer’s is a disease that destroys the brain, it is one of the most common causes of Dementia.

Ageing individuals with intellectual disabilities [a condition of life-long limited intellectual, social and vocational capabilities], are living longer and healthier lives, not only because they benefit from medical discoveries but also because the general care and support services offered to them in services such as Nua, have improved greatly over the years.

Nua operates a number of Designated Centre's dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

 

Acquired Brain Injuries

Acquired Brain Injury is brain damage caused by events occurring after birth, as opposed to it being as a result of a genetic or congenital disorder. Such injuries to the brain can vary in presentation from individual-to-individual; from subtle to more significant forms of complex personality disorders and behavioural challenges.

As a result, those with acquired brain injury often need the individualised supports provided by Nua, to help them live as independently as possible and to maintain and develop relationships with family, friends and colleagues within their communities.

Nua operates a number of dedicated residential services to facilitate and support individuals with acquired brain injuries, to live active and meaningful lifestyles.

 

Challenging Behaviour

Nua is a national leader in the provision of services for individuals who exhibit challenging behaviour. Since 2004, we have been working with a significant number of individuals requiring specialist intervention. Nua operates a social model of care and aims to support individuals presenting with challenging behaviours in a non-aversive and proactive way. Over the years, Nua Healthcare has developed bespoke facilities to cater for the most challenging of presentations. We have also significantly invested in our Clinical teams and expertise, so that in turn, we can deliver real and measurable change for the lives of the people experiencing difficulty.

 

Personality Disorder

At Nua, we have developed innovative successful strategies for adolescents with severe challenging behaviours and adults with personality disorders, both functional and organic; the latter often secondary to acquired brain injury. The social care model is ideal for supporting those with chronic maladaptive coping mechanisms and our Behavioural Specialists are ideally placed to support our Service Users, in developing more appropriate forms of behaviour.

Our Psychiatric team have devised assessment and treatment protocols and procedures to directly target the underlying psychopathology in personality disorder and to eliminate the perceived need for self-harm, in most vulnerable of personalities. Environmental elements are optimised on an individual basis, to promote sustained change and a truly recovery-based outcome. 

 

Independent Living

We believe in empowering individuals to live as independently as possible. We support individuals in an array of settings and have developed a range of training programmes, facilities and outreach support structures to facilitate all our Service Users in making the move towards independence. In 2010, Nua completed Taliesin Independent Living Complex – Taliesin acts as a stepping stone for individuals who are ready to make that move towards independence, and yet wish to retain comfort from the accessibility of nearby support, should they need it. It provides the opportunity to move from higher dependency programmes into a supported environment, without the risk of being detached from onsite supports.

Having spent time in any of our supported living units, individuals make the transition out into independent living with the support of our dedicated outreach team. Nua currently supports a large number of individuals from within their own accommodation in the community.

 

Community Outreach

Our Community Outreach services are available to both Children and Adults with disabilities.  Many individuals who attend our services, do so as a stepping stone towards joining the rest of the community, when they feel they are ready. Our team of care staff work closely with each individual, preparing them for taking on opportunities further afield and outside the realms of the day centres. To make this happen, the team work collectively amongst other day service facilities, the staff teams, the local community and most importantly, in line with each individual’s wants, needs and preferences.

Nua’s Community Outreach team plan activities and events throughout the year, months in advance. Activities are both educational and recreational, and include the likes of trips to the Science Gallery, the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin Zoo, The National Aquatic Centre, Newgrange, Blarney, The Giants Causeway and Titanic Experience, The Cavan Centre, Tulfarris Activity Centre and much more.

Community Outreach services also offer individuals an opportunity to join an array of sports clubs  - Soccer, Gaelic, Rugby, Tennis and Badminton, to name a few. They also are supported to get involved in local social clubs such as bowling, walking groups, movie nights, disco nights and to participate in a number of educational classes such as; cooking, knitting, independent living skills, life-long learning and much more.

 

Day Services

Our Day Service facilities offer a range of leisure, educational and vocational activities, in a friendly and structured environment. Each Day Service operates as a drop-in centre; facilitating individuals to use them as a base from which to access the wider community. Nua Day Services operate in accordance with the HSE’s ‘New Directions’ model of Day Service provision. Person-centred support services ensure that the Service User plays a fundamental role in the development, planning, delivery and evaluation of their service. Our Service Users can avail of a mixture of Day Service facilities, community programmes and education links, depending on their wants, needs and individualised care plans.

We support each Service User to participate in their community and to socialise and develop new skills, while expanding and improving their existing skills base.  With the support of our Day Service teams, we help each Service User to become more self-reliant and independent. All of our Day Service facilities are equipped with the most up-to-date technology and operate with a high staffing ratio. 

 

My son is autistic and is cared for by Nua Healthcare in Kildare. This is an incredible organisation with wonderful and amazing people who provide a vital service for those who cannot care for themselves. I personally want to say 'thank you' and I would urge others to find out more about them, and support them.