Minister to officially open Athlone's new community nursing unit

Athlone's Heartlands Care Centre, the community nursing unit in Clonbrusk which was developed to replace St Vincent's Care Centre, will be officially opened later this week.

The Minister of State for Older People, Fine Gael's Kieran O'Donnell, will perform the official opening of the facility on Friday.

The 48-bed care centre and day care centre has been in use since the end of March, following a construction period that began in 2023 and was completed last autumn.

The facility has also become the new home of the South Westmeath Hospice, through the provision of four level-two palliative care support beds.

A total of 38 residents were transferred from St Vincent's to the new centre at the end of March, accompanied by existing staff members and supplemented by additional staffing recruits.

Ahead of Friday's official opening, the HSE described Heartlands Care Centre as a "purpose-built facility (that) represents a major investment in older persons services in the Midlands and provides modern residential, respite, palliative and day care services for older people in the region".