More than a dozen elderly Alzheimer’s patients are to be moved from a Dublin hospital and placed in private replacement facilities when the specialist unit, opened just nine months ago, is temporarily closed later this year.

Over the coming days, 16 Alzheimer’s sufferers being treated at Cherry Orchard Hospital will be moved from the specialist Beech unit to alternative facilities as a direct result of staffing concerns at the unit over the summer months.

The move has been criticised by families of those being moved as a hurdle for the elderly patients at the facility to overcome.

Families and supporters of the respite patients will stage a protest outside the HSE headquarters at Dr Stevens Hospital tomorrow at noon to highlight the matter.

Thousands of petitions have also been collected and will be handed over to HSE executives.

In particular, the family of 82-year-old Alzheimer’s patient Anthony McLelland – who was forced to wait for six months at St James’s Hospital for a place at the specialist facility – warned the policy risked needlessly impacting on ongoing care.

However, while "expressing regret" for the situation, a HSE spokesperson insisted no patient or their family would be left without specialist care.

"Seven respite care beds, normally provided within Cherry Orchard, will be catered for by registered private nursing homes in the locality to ensure that patients in need of respite care can still avail of this over the summer period," said the spokesperson.

"The Beech unit, the smallest unit in the hospital with 16 beds, will re-open in October of this year.

"The HSE is conscious of the importance of the facilities at Cherry Orchard Hospital to patients, their carers and their families. We will continue to liaise with the families who will be affected by these changes to ensure that their needs and those of the patient can be met under the new arrangements.

"It is important to reiterate that no patient or their family will be left without a service," she continued, adding that the measures taken over the summer months would "ensure" the hospital will not exceed its budget level this year.

Family members and local councillors have met twice in the last few days with local management over the move.

According to local People Before Profit councillor Brid Smith, "the HSE embargo on recruitment is at the root of this problem and all we are asking is that they employ temporary nursing staff for the summer period to cover for annual leave".

The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases with age with its prevalence rising from approximately 1% in people under 65 years old to more than 25% for those over 80 years.

Although rare and more commonly associated with older age, the condition can also occur in people under 65.

There is no known cause for Alzheimer’s, however research is continuing into a series of potential treatments for the condition.