A programme run by the Wexford Intellectual Disabilities team of the HSE’s Dublin and South East mental health services is providing a nutrition awareness element for its users.
The psycho social sports/leisure exercise programme was launched two years ago as a healthy living reform project. Its goal was to increase the physical and mental health and wellbeing of service users through physical activity and modifying lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, alcohol intake, poor diet and sensory integration.
The programme sets out to elicit behaviour change in people with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and mental health disorders.
This month’s gathering of the programme at the Astro Centre in Enniscorthy catered to mental health service users from the HSE’s residences of Croí an Tobar in Oylegate, Havenview in Enniscorthy and Westlands in Wexford. They were joined by residents of the HSE’s Wexford Residential Intellectual Disabilities Services (WRIDS)’s facilities at Summerhill in Enniscorthy and Dawn House, Rivendell and San Paolo in Wexford.
Featuring at this get-together was nutritionist and dietician Sophie Pratt, well known for her television role in that capacity with RTÉ’s “Operation Transformation”.
An element of fun was added to the occasion with both service users and care support staff encouraged to participate in a “jersey day”. The colours of GAA club and county teams, Leinster and Ireland rugby and Premiership and the Irish international soccer side were very much in evidence.
Speaking at the latest event in the County Wexford Community Workshop’s Astro Active Centre multi-sports fitness centre, Bellefield, Enniscorthy, HSE Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Mental Health Mick Mahon said:
“Our aim in this programme has been to develop these health promotion interventions in a community-based venue. We provide real life events for people with complex needs, while developing a collaborative relationship between the client, family, staff and community-based personnel to enhance the co-production nature of this process.”
“Along the way, we have had the active support and participation of Pauline Dunne of Killowen Farm and we are also delighted that Sophie Pratt will be with us for three sessions.”
Speaking after she led the July meet-up, Sophie Pratt added:
“I was delighted to deliver the especially designed exercise routine. It was also a privilege to tailor a talk towards encouraging this programme’s participants’ interest in balanced diet tailored to specific dietary needs.”
“Given where we were, of course strawberries featured among the healthy snacks enjoyed at the end of the event! In what may be a great testament to what the Intellectual Disabilities team are about in this project, what will remain with me from my involvement is the fun we all have in identifying the basics for a healthy, general day to day lifestyle!”
Last updated on: 07 / 07 / 2025
