St. Michael’s Centre
Serving And Supporting Older Adults
History
St. Michael’s Centre has a long community-based history stretching back to 1969 when St. Michael’s first opened its doors
Staff Team
We are lucky that all the staff are team players which is needed in such a busy work environment.
Volunteers
The work carried out by volunteers is a vital part of the service, if we had no volunteers we would have no services.
A Little About Us
St. Michael’s Centre is a community centre providing information, support and resources to enable and support older people to live independently in their community and provide them with a range of choice based, high quality, supports and services.
The vision of St. Michael’s Centre Bandon is to strengen the capacity of older people to achieve their full potential, improve their wellbeing and continue to contribute to society. We are located in the heart of Bandon town on South Main Street.
We facilitate centre based activities such as a Meals on Wheels service, Care Ring and a host of Social & Recreational Activities. Our outreach work includes a Befriending Service and supporting eight Friendship Groups in the Bandon and surrounding areas.
We engage regularly with the Ballineen-Enniskeane community.
We work closely with Age Action, Age Friendly, Citizen Information, Cork ETB & the HSE. We also provide independent living homes for older people.
What We Do
Care Ring
This call service is offered to anyone older in the community, to receive a call, share in a conversation, once and a week on Tuesday or Wednesday from 10.00am – 12.00pm from one of our dedicated care ring volunteers. Simply fill in a form at St. Michael’s Centre.
Befriending Service
We provide a befriending visitation service for older people in the Bandon area. They will have a chat and a cuppa. There is no housework involved. It is purely for a social purpose. Each befriender is garda vetted, trained and supported by St. Michael’s Centre.
Digital Eye
Tuesday morning from 11.00 to 1.00. This group is for older people (55+) to learn how to use your own device (laptop, tablet or smart phone), such as how to send an email, search
for information, set up online banking and
have fun while doing it. Only €5 per session.
Meals on Wheels
The meals on wheels service is available Tuesday to Saturday and provides a main meal, portion of soup and a scone which is delivered by a volunteer driver or collected in the centre. The cost of each meal is only €4.50 as it is subsidised. This service is only available in the Bandon area.
Caint & Comhrá
The club runs every Tuesday evening from 5.00 to 6.00. It is a club where people meet to speak conversational Irish. It is for beginners as well as advanced people. Welcoming new members.
Bandon Family Carers Group
This group meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 7.30pm – 8.30pm. It is for people in a caring role. They meet to exchange ideas and experiences, support one another and get information.
Card Playing & Social Group
We meet on a Friday afternoon from 2.00pm – 4.00pm the centre is open to the community to join us for a tea & coffee and a chat. There is a group which plays cards and always welcome new members. We also have a social group who enjoy a variety of board games, hand massage and chats & laughter while having a tea or coffee.
Music Morning
Every Friday morning, we facilitate a music-morning. It is very friendly group, everybody is welcome. The €2 donation is optional. It is on from 11.30am until 1pm. There will be a musician playing a few songs either on the piano or guitar. Everybody is welcome to sing a song or say a poem or just listen. Teas and Coffees will be provided during the morning.
Physical Therapy
Low cost treatment available with a qualified Massage Physical Therapist. Rob McGuinness attends the centre once a month, generally on a Thursday from 9.00am to 3.00pm. Each session is 40 minutes long and the charge is €30. A simple phone call to St. Michaels Centre reception and appointments can be arranged.
Community Education
Personal Development – Monday night’s 7.00-8.30 beginning March 4th for four weeks.
Chair Yoga – Wednesday’s 2.00-3.00 beginning April 3rd for six weeks.
Tai Chi – Tuesdays 2.00-3.00 beginning May 7th 2.00-3.00 for four weeks
Parkinson’s Group
This group is organised & facilitated by Tony Wilkinson and takes place the third Wednesday in a month between 11.00am and 1.00pm. The support group welcomes people living with Parkinson’s, their family or friends. Please contact Tony on 083 864 3676 for more information.
Pobal – Personal Alarms
This personal monitored alarm supports older people continue to live securely in their own homes. Those over 65 can avail of this government supported initiative. Fill out a form and return it to the office so we can process your application to get your own personal alarm.
Citizens Information
Citizens Information provides information, advice and advocacy on a variety of topics including: Employment rights, Social welfare benefits, Family matters, Consumer issues, Migrant issues, Disability issues, Housing issues, etc. They gather up to date information from various government departments and agencies and share it in an understandable language. The team can support you by providing you with information, advice and advocacy. They can help you with filling out forms, negotiating with government departments, landlords or employer or represent you at formal hearings. They are available in St. Michael’s Centre every Thursday from 10am until 4pm with a one-hour break between 1pm and 2pm. No appointment needed and the service is FREE & confidential. The main office is based in Bantry and the contact number is 0761 07 8390 or www.citizensinformation.ie
Contact Us
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