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Outreach & Support Services

The Irish Haemophilia Society offers outreach and support services including home and hospital visits, regional visits, and school visits to:

  • Adults with haemophilia
  • Older adults with haemophilia
  • Children with haemophilia and their families
  • Families with a new diagnosis of haemophilia
  • Persons with haemophilia who have been affected with HIV and/or Hepatitis C
  • The families of those who have died of either or both viruses
  • Carriers of haemophilia
  • Persons with von Willebrand’s Disorder
  • Women with bleeding disorders
  • Individuals with rare bleeding disorders
  • Persons with haemophilia and their families who have moved to Ireland from abroad

Personal Contact

The I.H.S. staff maintain a high level of ongoing personal contact with I.H.S. members. Each member of staff is trained and educated sufficiently about haemophilia and the ramifications of living with a bleeding disorder to enable them to proactively engage with and assist members. Members build relationships with the staff team from their attendance at conferences and meetings. These relationships are very helpful in allowing us to optimally help the members. We maintain a database for member contact and log each call to a member. In this way, we can check to ensure that there are not a large number of members who have not been contacted.
 

Staff are routinely in contact with members within normal working hours and often at weekends or in the evenings, as many members cannot be contacted by phone during the day, due to work or college commitments. The I.H.S. will continue to provide specific advice and support in relation to services available under the Health Amendment Act Card to members with HIV and/or Hepatitis C.

Please contact the office on 01 6579900 if you require some information or support.

In the case of an out of hours emergency, please call the office on 01 657 9900. You will be directed to the answering machine, where you can obtain contact details of our emergency contact person.

Home & Hospital Visits

The Society offers outreach and support services to persons with haemophilia, von Willebrand Disorder, related bleeding disorders and to their families on any issue which relates to their haemophilia or their ability to deal with their medical condition. This support includes regular hospital and home visits.

We meet members in their homes as it allows us to integrate our understanding of the issues which specifically affect members in that area and allows us to optimise our advocacy efforts on their behalf. The I.H.S. are aware that not everyone can attend our events due to numerous reasons. However, this does not mean you do not need support. The I.H.S. can arrange a home visit to you at your convenience.

Under normal circumstances we would also offer hospital visits to give you or your child support, a chat or something else that would make your hospital stay more manageable. However, restrictions have not been lifted yet in the hospitals since the COVID-19 pandemic. We will start these again when restrictions are lifted. We know that being in hospital can be a scary and lonely time and as the I.H.S. office is located in Dublin City Centre so it is easy for staff to attend St. James’s Hospital and Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin.  

Please contact the office on 01 6579900 if you need some support.

Members, we are doing regional and home visits this year. The first is taking place in Cork on the 13th-14th of February 2023. 

School Visits

Our outreach and support services also include school visits. While academically there is no difference between a child with haemophilia or related bleeding disorder and a child with no bleeding disorder, sometimes children may miss school when they are recovering from a bleed. Teachers should do their best to make the child comfortable when they come back, and should help them catch up on work they have missed.

At playgroup and primary school normal play activities present little in the way of problems and the child should be allowed to play alongside the other children. Primary school level sports are usually less competitive and children with haemophilia and related bleeding disorders should be allowed to take part in all activities, unless they have specific problems. In secondary school, sports often become more competitive and injuries are more common. It is not recommended that your child plays sports with a high level of physical contact such as rugby or boxing.

If your child is starting crèche, playschool or primary school and you are a little worried, please call the office on 01 6579900. We can arrange to visit the school and will talk to the teachers and educate them about haemophilia or a related bleeding disorder. We can also supply the school with I.H.S. publications. This service can be arranged at the school’s convenience.

 

How

Benefits & Entitlements

Any member of the Irish Haemophilia Society who wishes to apply for social welfare, will be offered support as follows:

  • The I.H.S. will engage with the member and guide them through the process of applying for the benefit with the assistance of Citizens Information.
  • We will accompany the member to any meetings, assessments and appeals when requested.
  • The I.H.S. will provide the member with a letter which will support the member’s application.
  • We will engage proactively with the Department of Social Protection on the members’ behalf.

If you would up to date information in relation to benefits, entitlements and social welfare or assistance in relation to applying for social welfare, please contact the office on 01 6579900.

Please click on the links below to view I.H.S. publications on:
• A guide to benefits & allowances for adults with haemophilia
• A guide for parents of a child with haemophilia
• A guide to benefits & allowances for carers

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