asked the Minister for Health the number of senior citizens currently in public or private nursing homes; if he will give a projection of the numbers seeking public or private nursing home places in each of the next ten years; the plans he has to increase the number of public nursing home places; the dates when these extra places are likely to come on stream; if he has any plans to increase the upper limit of the weekly grant, even in specific cases, for places in private nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Places for Senior Citizens.
241.
The number of beds in private and voluntary nursing homes is approximately 6,500. The number of places in health board homes and hospitals for the elderly is 8,510.
My Department has requested each health board to prepare a plan to implement the recommendations of The Years Ahead — A Policy for the Elderly, the report of the Working Party on Services for the Elderly. These plans will include proposals to expand the extended care facilities available for the elderly where necessary.
The subvention available for people in need of care in a nursing home is being reviewed in the context of the Health (Nursing Homes) Bill, 1989, which is currently before the Dáil.