Some years ago Broomfield Aughnafarcon Development Group prepared a questionnaire to survey the needs of Senior Citizens / Vulnerable People / People with Special Needs in the area. The survey was carried out by a Student Summer School Scheme who went around from door to door. For the young people it meant bringing them in contact with and heightening their awareness of the needs of the older / more vulnerable members of the community.

When the results of the survey were compiled it became clear that among the greatest needs of our Senior Citizens was to was to feel more safe / secure in their own homes and that if it became necessary for them to leave their home they could find a new home in a safe environment in this rural area, without having to move to a local town. The Development Group formed a new community alert group in the consultation with An Garda Siochana through the person of Sergeant John Quinn who is based in the local Garda Station. The Community Alert Group set about creating local awareness of the safety / security of our Senior Citizens and those living alone. Prominent Community Alert signs were placed around the entire area; these are monitored and replaced as necessary. Those people who required them were provided with new doors, locks on doors, windows etc and especially sensor lights at the front of people’s homes. After careful research, we found that a Call / Monitoring system could be put in place for those living alone or vulnerable so that they could have immediate access to help at any time.

In practise this means that a small unit is placed in the persons home connected to their telephone. The person wears a small pendant around their neck. If the person feels unwell, should happen to fall or for any reason needs help, they press the pendant which immediately rings in a central monitoring station. The monitoring station will immediately contact one of at least three pre-selected neighbours / friends, and if no contact can be made with these, will contact the local Garda station. We are very happy that the system has worked several times for people and in one case probably saved the life of a man who fell to the floor with severe chest pains and through his pendant got immediate help

To date there are approximately 36 of these pendants being used in this community. These are overseen by our Community Development Group, repaired / replaced as required and constantly given to more people in the community as needs arise.    

The community Alert Project is funded through grant aid and by local fund raising by our Development Group. We are pleased, as a Community Group to have six dwellings together with a community room built for our senior citizens / people with special needs in this rural area. These are ideally located in a quiet area, with immediate access to amenities. Open for the last six years, these new homes have proved to be very popular with their occupants. This project has blended in very well in our environment and has the ongoing support of the whole community.

As a Community Development we are constantly looking to improve the quality of life and social interaction of our many senior citizens and those with special needs, while doing everything possible to ensure that they can feel safe and secure in their own homes. “An Eaglais” is proving to be a wonderful asset when it comes to having an attractive setting for this part of our community to meet and engage in a social interaction.

The service provided by An Eaglais works towards helping the community in many different ways as follows:

• The facility is used as a meeting place for all the local community.  This is free of charge, and it is available at night-time also.
• Provides subsidized lunches for the elderly,
• Alleviates disadvantage in its community by providing employment to its employees who are all from the long-term unemployed, all are women and all distant from the labour market.
• Promotes the social and economic development of the community by selling arts and crafts from Cavan, Monaghan, South Armagh and Tyrone
• Promotes the locally made Carrickmacross Lace. Provides a community information facility – displaying local and regional tourist information.
• Organises and runs many local community events like local history exhibitions and local art exhibitions.
• Provides a facility for local community and family celebrations like christenings and funeral parties.
• Provides refreshments for active retirement and women's groups who use it for on their days out.
• Provides a practice area for the local youth band.
• Provide for school tours, which come to view the building and learn about local tourism, heritage and arts and crafts.
• Organise and run benefit functions for local worthy causes
• Provide a place where young people can meet their friends.
• Provide subsidised light refreshment three times per week to special needs adult groups from the area
• Services for the elderly like Health & Security Monitoring, Housing, Travel, Parties, etc. are all co-ordinated from An Eaglais by the manager and staff with help from local volunteers and development group committee members.