asked the Minister for Health if he will establish financial incentive schemes to enable more people to take care, where possible, of their elderly or mentally ill relatives at home.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Care Support Schemes.
9.
With regard to the elderly, I expect to have a report soon from the Working Party on Health and Welfare Services for the Elderly and I will then examine their recommendations on these services. As regards the mentally ill, the report Planning for the Future recommended the development of a psychiatric service based primarily in the community. This requires the provision of a wide range of facilities, outside the psychiatric hospitals, which will be much more accessible to those needing help. Progress is being made in developing these services which will be of benefit to patients and their families.
The Deputy will be aware, however, that there is a wide range of support schemes already in existence to help families care for relatives in need of care.
Would the Minister accept that it would be much more satisfactory from the individual patient's point of view, while also being a lot less costly, if the Minister had a policy to provide some financial incentives to enable people to be cared for at home, in their own environment or in their own areas? There is great confusion as to what exactly Government policy is in this area or indeed what has been Government policy in, not so much this Minister's term of office, but in previous years also. Some nursing homes are registered to receive subvention from the health boards while others are not. It is difficult to establish exactly what official policy is in this area. Would the Minister agree in principle with the proposal contained in the question?
Health boards and voluntary organisations provide various welfare services for the elderly, the chronic sick, the disabled and for families in distress such as social work support services, day care services, home helps, home nursing, meals on wheels and fuel vouchers. The health boards in collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Board also provide vocational assessment, guidance, training in community workshops and placement for physically and mentally handicapped persons. The health boards also administer a number of income maintenance schemes including in particular the disabled person's maintenance allowance which is available to mentally ill persons in the community who meet the conditions of eligibility. Elderly and mentally ill persons may also be entitled to free or partially free health services depending on which category of eligibility they are in.
I ask the Minister again as to whether he agrees in principle with the proposal in the question?
That is not in the script.
As I have said, the health boards provide financial supports for the persons themselves.
What is your policy?
I would think that the primary obligation on all of us is as far as possible to look after our own families and that where that is not possible for any particular reason there is an obligation on the State to ensure that people are properly cared for in the community initially. Again, if they cannot be cared for in the community, there is an obligation to ensure that residential care is provided for them.
Would the Minister not agree that it is the desire of most families to take care of their elderly or ill relatives at home if it is possible for them to do so and that it is also generally accepted that that kind of care is less costly to the State than residential care? Would the Minister not agree therefore that it would be a good idea to make financial incentives available to those families who wish to do so as this would take the burden off the State?
I have already pointed out the range of services which are available to support families looking after their elderly and mentally ill.
That is within residential care, what about in the home?
The question relates to the taking care of persons in the home. Can the Minister tell us what incentives are available to enable people to do this?
I have already listed a number of them such as the home nursing service, the home help service and certain income supports such as the disabled person's maintenance allowance. Also, the Department of Social Welfare operate various schemes, for example, the prescribed relative's allowance.