asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the difficulty in finding long term residential care for the elderly; and his plans to ensure that such care is available when necessary.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Long Term Residential Care.
26.
I accept that there is a need to further develop services for the elderly. However, I would like to point out that the emphasis on health policy is to build up a comprehensive network of community geriatric services rather than a concentration on institutional care. Current developments in this area reflect this policy.
How can the Minister say that current developments reflect that policy when public health nurses, who play a very large role in the care of the elderly, are not replaced when they go on annual, sick or maternity leave until they are a month off duty?
There has been a very substantial development of Leopardstown Park Hospital, work has been done on the rehabilitation unit in the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook, and services for extended care have also been approved there. An extra 20 beds have been provided in Vergemount, Clonskeagh, and a unit for the young chronically sick is being opened in Saint Mary's, Phoenix Park. These developments relate to the Eastern Health Board area alone and in all the other health board areas we have managed to provide, even with limited resources, additional community based services.