asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the services available to disabled elderly people are adequate to meet their needs; and if he will take all possible steps to ensure that the elderly in the community are not sent to institutions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disabled Elderly People.
11.
I am satisfied that the services available to the elderly, including those who are disabled, are at an acceptable level. The community care programme operated by local health boards and by voluntary agencies subsidised by the health boards is an expanding service which operates on the principle that it is better for elderly people, in terms of personal dignity and happiness, to be retained in the community while this is possible rather than be placed in hospitals or other institutions.
My question may have been somewhat ambiguous by my omitting to insert the word "unnecessarily" in respect of the sending of the elderly to institutions. May I point out that in the UK and in other countries there is a movement away from sending people to institutions and that the emphasis is on preventative medicine rather than on institutional care? Are we doing everything possible to keep the elderly in the community?
The policy is to keep the elderly in the community where possible and much work has been done in recent years towards that end.
Is it intended to do more work in this area?
If I take the home help service alone, the Deputy will get some idea of the efforts being made to keep people at home. The budget for this service in 1972 was £150,000 whereas for the current year it is £1.35 million.
If we take into account such factors as inflation and the increasing number of old people among us, those figures will lose some of their impact. However, I am not satisfied that we are doing enough to stop what I shall call the drift of the elderly into institutions. The home help service is not as good as it might be. Therefore we should provide more money for this purpose during the coming year.
I might say that most services of this kind are not as good as we would wish but I assure the Deputy that the tendency is towards the trend that he is promoting.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that if allowances were given to relatives of the elderly other than those people who are bed-ridden, and even to non-relatives in some cases, there would be an improvement in the trend towards keeping people in the community, which is where they should be if at all possible?
I entirely agree with the Deputy that this would be a help but it is a question of finance. The more money that can be made available the better.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that if a reasonable amount was given with the old age pension, the beds in institutions would be available for people who are really sick because people could afford to keep the aged at home?
I agree with the Deputy. The Deputy's point will be considered.