asked the Minister for Health whether he has available to him statistics of the number of cases of elderly geriatric patients not suffering from mental disease who are at present in mental hospitals throughout the country; and, if not, if he will carry out a survey of mental hospitals to obtain this information with a view to planning provision of geriatric care outside the mental hospitals for this type of patient.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Geriatric Patients in Mental Hospitals.
5.
In consultation with the Commission of Inquiry on Mental Illness, I caused to be introduced last year a new system of mental hospital statistics designed to give a better picture of our hospital population and of the admissions to and discharges from hospital. An essential element of this new system was the taking of a survey of all the patients in hospital on the 31st March, 1963. Among the analyses made from this survey was a classification of the patients by reference to the diagnosis of their illness. This classification shows that there are no patients in mental hospitals not suffering from mental disease and this is only to be expected because there is a statutory obligation on persons in charge of mental hospitals to discharge patients who have recovered.
There are, of course, many elderly patients in mental hospitals. According to this survey there were 5,305 patients over 62 years of age in district mental hospitals and of these 2,101 were over 72 years. I am advised that an appreciable number of these do not need the full range of psychiatric treatment which is available in district mental hospitals and could be adequately looked after in less specialised institutions. During recent years five former sanatoria have been diverted for this kind of use and approximately 700 patients have been transferred to them from mental hospitals. The possibility of further development along these lines is kept constantly in mind.
Might I ask if the Minister is not glad we built the sanatoria?
You did not build the sanatoria.
Was it the fairies?
Crooksling was not built by any Government of which Deputy James Dillon was a member.
Crooksling is not the only sanatorium around Dublin.
Is there any institution for senile delinquents?