Health at Crann

We appreciate how your health can have a direct impact on your life. If you have a neuro-physical disability, you may have health concerns that need specialist support that isn’t always accessible. Our dedicated programmes, workshops and clinics are designed to meet and exceed your health and educational goals and needs.

Through our dedicated programmes, workshops and clinics we aim to meet your goals for your health needs.

Refer yourself or your child using the Referral button. We’ll arrange a time to meet to discuss your needs at your intake meeting with our Client Services Manager. As you work through programmes at Crann, we discuss your progress and continually address the needs that may come up throughout your life.

Not all programmes are available at all times. We will let you know when the programmes you need are available and do our best to facilitate you at a time that works for you.

Our experienced team is here to help, providing tailored advice and support to meet your needs.

Referral Form

Health Programmes

We support clients, their families, educators and medical professionals working towards our common goal of creating a world where people with neuro-physical disabilities thrive.

Continence at Crann

Continence issues can sometimes have a disproportionate impact on your life. Our expert team are here to help you get on with your day.

Find out more about the Continence Clinics at Crann here.

A top down view of bowls and plates of colourful healthy goods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains.

Dietetics at Crann

Access to dietetics services for people with disabilities, and especially children, can be difficult at present, so we are very pleased to be able to offer it to families at Crann.

Dietetics at Crann is run by Susan Walsh, a CORU registered dietitian with over 20 years’ experience working with children and adults across acute and disability services.

The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) has stated that dietetics can improve your food and fluid consumption, nutrition, bowel patterns and increase immunity, which can result in lower rates of hospitalisation, improved health and wellbeing and a better quality of life.

Feeding difficulties affect 60-90% of children with Cerebral Palsy. Children with Spina Bifida or Muscular Dystrophy can experience a range of nutritional difficulties including undernutrition, problems with eating/drinking and swallowing (EDS) disorders, constipation, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone problems and weight gain/obesity among others.

As a dietitian, Susan can guide and support your nutritional choices for your health and help you to identify areas you may like to work on to improve it. These can include:

Poor nutritional intake, being underweight, poor growth or poor weight gain
Being overweight or obese
Constipation
Nutritional assessment
Advice about supporting good health through diet and nutrition

Referrals

Adults and children with a neuro-physical disability can be referred through healthcare professionals* (Hospital, GP, PHN, CNDT MDT), but self-referrals are also welcome. To refer email Eimear Daly at health@cranncentre.ie

First Consultation: €25, Review appointments €15 (If cost is an issue please call to discuss options.)

3 sets of feet, 2 adult and one child. They sit on the sand

Podiatry

Crann is delighted to partner with Achilles Foot Clinic to offer a monthly podiatry clinic.

Podiatrists are experts in foot care and take into consideration the structure of your lower limbs, posture, muscle tone and pelvic placement to create solutions that optimise your health.

What is available at Podiatry?

Foot Assessment: Neurological and vascular foot assessment
Assessment and management of pressure ulcers
Complaints of heel and arch pain, discomfort, reduced sensation or blood supply
Infection
Skin problems
Balance issues
Ingrown toenails
Chiropody needs like nail care
Advice on foot care and footwear

Cost: €10 per session (can be subsidised, call to discuss)

A notebook on a wood table reads "Checklist" Item one: "Check for pressure sores"

It Only Takes a Minute© Pressure Ulcer Awareness

Did you know that if you have limited activity and mobility levels that you are at increased risk of pressure ulcer development? Or have you had a pressure ulcer? Do you know how to recognise the early signs of pressure ulcer development?

‘It Only Takes a Minute©’, Crann’s pressure ulcer awareness programme provides you with the knowledge of how a pressure ulcer develops and the strategies to help prevent, recognise and react to pressure ulcer development early.

Cervical Smear Screening

Cervical Smear screening is available at Crann for women aged between 25 and 65 with a neuro-physical disability who are eligible for their free smear through the HSE’s Cervical Check service. To check your eligibility visit the Cervical Check website here. You’ll need your PPS number and date of birth to check your eligibility.

Screening is performed by Crann’s Health & Continence Nurse, Ita Murray, who is registered with the national Cervical Check programme. Ita has 8 years’ experience performing smears at a GP practice prior to joining Crann.

Benefits of Cervical Smear screening at Crann

Screens are performed by an experienced, female nurse
The clinic is fully wheelchair accessible, with adjustable bed & hoist available
Your results are logged and returned to you as part of the national screening programme
Appointments can be arranged around your other appointments at Crann
Appointments are discreet and confidential

Cervical screening is a test to check for the HPV virus, which can be an early indicator of cancer. It is important to have a screening arranged regularly. The HSE recommends that those aged 25-29 get screened every 3 years, and those aged 30-65 get their screening every 5 years.

You can arrange your appointment with Ita by contacting imurray@cranncentre.ie or calling 021 428 9267.

Please note: Dr John Crowley, GP, Ballincollig, will act as medical governance over this service. His GP practice will oversee the return of results to you and contact you directly should any results require further attention.

SNA & Educator Training

These bespoke courses provide SNAs with the skills, competence and confidence required to support your students’ care plan effectively and safely. Let’s work together to help your students flourish.

Find out more here.

A woman stretches her back with her hands placed on her lower back.

Mind Your Back for Parents

Day-to-day care needs can take their toll on your back. Taking the right measures now can help ease pressure on your back and help prevent problems down the line.

‘Mind Your Back’ is a manual handling course designed for parents, hosted by a qualified instructor. This course aims to give you the knowledge, skills and strategies to help protect your back from injury every day.

This course takes 3.5 hours in-house at Crann.

A woman and a man speak to each other in a bright room at Crann. The woman has spina bifida and is a wheelchair user. The man is also a wheelchair user, his back is to the camera.

Understanding Your Condition

Understanding your primary diagnosis gives you the tools to make the right healthcare decisions for you.

Understanding Your Condition is a series of programmes that gives you and your family added insight into your primary diagnosis. It includes topics like Bladder and Bowel Basics, Hydrocephalus and Shunts, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injuries and Cerebral Palsy.

It can give you the know-how to ask the right questions, to understand your progress and to understand what supports are available.

A wrap lies on a wooden board. Bits of onion, carrots and tomatoes lie about on the board.

Healthy Eating

Knowing what to eat and why are important considerations for your health and that of your family. Navigating how to do that can be a difficult task!

Our 3-week Healthy Eating programme designed in conjunction with the UCC School of Food and Nutritional Sciences provides you with the knowledge of how to eat healthily, the importance of each food group and how to get the most from your diet. You’ll discuss topics such as developing a healthy routine, how to shop for and cook healthy foods.

The Healthy Eating programme is open to teenagers and adults

top down view of someone wrapping a bandage around another person's wrists.

First Aid

When you know how to react to a medical emergency, you can protect yourself, prevent further injury and potentially save lives.

During this course, you’ll learn the warning signs of emergency medical events like heart attacks and stroke, as well as essential skills like CPR and the use of an AED defibrillator.

This course is available for parents, teenagers and adults with neuro-physical disabilities. Worried you may not be able to participate if you use a wheelchair? Skills are adapted throughout the course to show you how to deal with an emergency situation as a wheelchair user.

Meet Your Team

Call Us Now >

Learn more about Eimear >

Eimear Daly

Health & Continence Manager

Eimear is a disability nurse specialist with years of experience working with adults and children with disabilities. She oversees Crann’s comprehensive and personalised Health & Continence programmes.

Learn more about Ita >

Ita Murray

Health & Continence Nurse

Ita completed her Postgraduate in Paediatrics in Dublin before working for many years in ‘Ladybird’ children’s ward in Cork University Hospital and worked as General Practice Nurse in Kinsale.