Since the nurses' strike began eight days ago, Morgan Cole has kept repeating two words: "Centre, open".
The 30-year-old Dublin man with moderate Down's Syndrome does not understand that the St John of God Centre in Islandbridge is closed because of the strike.
All he knows is that he can no longer swim, cycle, horse-ride and meet his friends.
"The centre is his life and our lifeline really," said Morgan's father, Walter, in his Terenure home. "He's getting very stressed about it being closed and worried that it's not going to come back. He hasn't a clue what a strike is. He just misses his swimming and all the activities he does there."
Walter is semi-retired and has taken extra time off work to pitch in with his wife, Brid, in keeping Morgan active. They are among hundreds of families who have been left with the heavy responsibility of caring for mentally handicapped relatives during the strike.
"It's an awful shame for Morgan," said Brid. "The nurses are doing what they have to do and I'm doing what I have to do for him. He can't say it himself, but certainly his body language might convey his distress at it. His is quite a lonely life while he's at home and we try to keep him going, but it's largely confined to the home."
Brid said Morgan "blossomed" when he was 19. Then he moved from weekdays at a special school to the centre, where he has many sporting activities as well as as sessions in communication. Morgan has sight and hearing problems and his speech is poor and comprehensible only to his family, friends and nurses.
"I think we are possibly in the best service in the Eastern Health Board. Parents are encouraged to talk and be open and sons and daughters are extremely well looked after," said Brid.
While Morgan's situation is far from life-threatening, it is clearly taking its toll on him, according to Brid.
"He's worrying about the centre and about his friends being gone and he'll worry about his friends, the nurses, and the aides as well. His worry time is in the morning and when he goes to bed," she said.
Walter said he hoped that if the dispute ended today, Morgan would be able to return to the day centre tomorrow. He said he would be "over the moon" if that happened.