"The Birches" Story
Our Services
Day Care
Specialised care from a Nurse Manager and trained carers at The Birches.
Home Care
Weekly support and care in the home of Alzheimer Sufferers.
Family Support Group
Monthly meetings to help people caring for sufferers of Alzheimer's Disease.
A Day in the Life
Read about a typical day at The Birches Alzheimer Day Care Centre.
Where are we?
View a Road Map with full directions on how to reach The Birches.
Take a tour of The Birches
It was on the first Tuesday of no particular month 1992 in a spacious spiritual room provided by the Redemptorist Fathers in their Dundalk Monastery that the first family members and their friends came together to share their knowledge and experience about Alzheimer's Disease. Thus began the Family Support Group that has flourished and become a great source of comfort to many families over the years.
It was from within this group that The North Louth Branch Alzheimer's Society of Ireland was formed in 1994. The first Chairperson was Kathleen Taaffe who presided over the Branch aided by Eileen Dullaghan as Secretary and Bridie Gilmore as Treasurer.
Following the establishment of the Branch a group of Voluntary Fundraisers sought a meeting with the full Branch membership and this group agreed to run a Casino Night that was a great hit with all who attended. The torch was now lit and the dream of building an Alzheimer Day Centre in Dundalk was set in motion. In the following two years the popular Casino Nights proved enormously successful and an event not to be missed.
Arising from a Public meeting held in April 1998 "The Alzheimer Day Centre Project" was launched and "The Dundalk and North Louth Fund Raising Team" was formed. This energetic team left no stone unturned to reach the marvellous sum of £446k that fulfilled the "dream" of the original Branch Committee - to build "A State of the Art Day Centre" for people within North Louth suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer related Dementia.
June 1st 2000 was a very proud day for the Branch, the Fund Raising Committees and the people of Dundalk and North Louth, as all rejoiced at the official opening of "the Birches" Alzheimer Day Care Centre by Minister Dermot Ahern.
The magnificent Day Centre Building was totally funded by the people of North Louth-and all concerned have every right to feel very proud of their wonderful achievement.
