Important information for
Gateway Members about changes in Gateway starting 16th March until
further notice
Following
the Government’s announcement last week to close all schools, colleges and
crèches as well as pubs as of last night, to help minimise the risk and spread of Coronavirus in Ireland, and
with more restrictions on the way given public health advice, Gateway is temporarily changing the way it provides
social support in the community over the next few weeks to help protect
everyone’s health and safety as part of a national approach to contain and
limit the impacts of the coronavirus.
Gateway's Management Committee have decided to close the project on a temporary basis to individuals and groups at this time. Gateway is
a mental health project and as peers, we understand that it will be more
important than ever for people to be able to stay connected while all of
this is going on. We know that isolation
and increased worry can be very challenging for our mental health which is why Gateway will provide information and support
over the phone while Gateway's facilities are closed. Peer
support sessions over the phone will be also available. Gateway's mobile phones
will be open 10.00am-4.00pm Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday from 2-4pm.
PLEASE SAVE THESE NUMBERS
INTO YOUR PHONE
Gateway Mobiles: 085-7521220
085-8776001
085-8776002
We know
that large groups of people mixing together and being in close contact increases
the risk of infection and spread of this virus which may have serious health complications
for people with underlying health issues and for those taking certain medications; these
include people with lung disorders such as asthma and COPD, heart
conditions and medications that affect the heart, auto-immune diseases like diabetes etc, and people who are immune
compromised such as people in treatment for cancers and HIV. Therefore, it is
clear that to be responsible as a project, Gateway needs to remind members of
the risks and how to minimise them. We also need to ensure that people still have access to vital social
support in the community through Gateway and will trial some options during this
time to find what works best, at the moment this is limited to support
over the phone.
What will change in Gateway?
Drop in changes: temporarily closed until further
notice.
Education &
Training changes: All
courses and activities on hold for time being.
Peer Support: one to one sessions with members
of the team will be available over the phone as best we can between 10am and
4pm Monday to Friday.
Phone, Text &
Email: we will provide phone, text and email support
and information based on the most recent HSE and Public Health updates and for
people reaching out for social contact.
Members can phone the Gateway
Mobiles on 085-7521220 between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday and weekends from
2-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. If
there are large numbers of callers, we will ask people to keep calls for a
brief chat so that others can also contact us and may ask that a staff member
or volunteer call you back from a different number.
Other changes?
There may be further changes over
the next couple of weeks depending on the actions of Govenment and the HSE which might mean Gateway will be in a position to trial other options in line with advice, we will do our best
to keep everyone updated by phone, text and email throughout. We hope that the closure of the project is
temporary and we can reopen very soon.
Please do keep in touch with us by phone in the mean time.
Remember for most people the
coronavirus is a mild flu-like illness but for some people, particularly with
underlying health issues, it can lead to serious complications which is why we all
need to do our best to help minimise it and reduce the spread so that less
people are affected.
What to do if you have symptoms?
Phone your GP and follow advice.
If you are diagnosed with coronavirus, a courtesy call to Gateway would
be appreciated so that we can help protect other members and staff.
Support numbers for information and
telephone support
HSE info line: 1850 241 850 - for updates (8am-8pm Mon-Fri and Sat/Sun 10-5pm) - see
ALONE helpline: 0818 222024 - for support (8am-8pm)
Samaritans: 116123 - for support (24 hours)
SeniorLine: 1800 804 591 - for information and support (10am-10pm every day)
If you have cold/flu symptoms
(cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever, aches/pains), call your GP immediately.
HSE advise that people do not go in person.
Your GP can arrange a test and send a medic to your home – as a
precaution you will most likely be expected to isolate yourself at home for a
minimum period of two weeks under medical supervision/support.
If you don’t have support to get
shopping or other items because of illness or the need to isolate yourself,
there are voluntary local groups being set up in communities to help with
this. Call us in Gateway for information
or for a chat and/or text us in Gateway and we will do our best to find the
information to support you in practical ways which might involve getting some
shopping in for people who don’t have access to support.
We
suggest that members who are peers to one another and/or friendly with one another,
consider exchanging their phone numbers and joining the whatsapp group so that people
can continue to talk to one another on the phone, especially while drop ins are closed and meet ups not happening. You can download Whatsapp for your smartphone from iphone and android marketplaces
Please follow advice from trusted official
sources only as there is a lot of misinformation at the moment and it is not
helping people – contact the HSE directly for advice and updates on 1850 241
850.
We hope to be back open very soon.
Thanks for your understanding and keep
in touch.
Best wishes,
Fionn & The Gateway Team
