Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - Home Care Attendants Scheme.

Mr. Sherlock

In the Southern Health Board area the Irish Wheelchair Association have provided a practical relief service to families caring for physically disabled people at home since 1987. In effect this means that a caring relative can receive a weekly or daily break from the continuous demands caring for a handicapped person at home—washing, dressing, toileting, feeding and a wide variety of tasks. The 24 hour responsibility and consequent stress is in no small way helped by the relief service. It lengthens people's ability to maintain a disabled person in the community.

The cost of the scheme in 1990 in the Southern Health Board region was £25,000. Of that £20,000 came from the Irish Wheelchair Association and £5,000 came from the Southern Health Board. About 35 families benefit from the scheme. Due to various matters affecting the financial situation of the Irish Wheelchair Association the level of service cannot be maintained in 1991. To date no contribution has been received from the Southern Health Board. I raised this matter at community care level with the Southern Health Board on two occasions. I am now requesting the Minister for Health to intervene to ensure that a reasonable level of service can be maintained to give relief where it is so badly needed. Indeed, there are some cases of which I am aware in the Fermoy area who benefit so much from this scheme that it would be a disaster for the families concerned if the scheme ended. The service is so reduced at present as to cause hardship for families and indeed many will be forced into residential care.

A submission was made to the Southern Health Board in September 1990 by social workers representing the Irish Wheel Association, Cork Spastic Clinic, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Cork Regional Hospital and Mercy Hospital which stated that a discrepancy existed between the demand for and the availability of service to meet the growing number of young, chronically disabled people. There are two groups involved. One consists of 110 people who are living at home and who are potentially at risk and the other consists of seven people whose families can no longer cope. The families are unable to care for them and there is no permanent place available to accommodate them. I appeal to the Minister to provide the Southern Health Board with additional funds to allow the necessary services to these families, which are provided by the Irish Wheelchair Association, to continue.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Flood)

The home care attendant scheme operated by the Irish Wheelchair Association provides relief for those relatives who bear continuous responsibility for the physically disabled in their homes. The essence of the scheme is that a trained, reliable care attendant is available when the caring relative most need a break, for example in the evenings, at weekends or in the event of sudden illness. Most families avail of the assistance of the care attendant on weekly basis.

The scheme is in operation in Dublin, Cork, Laois, Donegal, Limerick and Clare. The scheme is valuable and cost effective, its aim being the retention in the community of severely physically disabled people by providing the necessary support for them in their homes. However, a more intensive service is provided if the relative is under a serious degree of stress. The scheme differs from the existing home help service in that it is more flexible — being available as and when the family require assistance, for example in the evenings, at weekends and during holiday periods.

In recognition of this excellent service the Irish Wheelchair Association have received substantial funding from the national lottery for their home care attendants scheme. This funding amounted to a total of £300,000 up to the end of 1990. My colleague, Deputy Michael Woods, Minister for Social Welfare, recently provided a grant of £75,000 for the IWA to assist the organisation in the various services they provide, including the home care attendants scheme.

In addition, the health boards have provided further grant support for the scheme at local level. The Southern Health Board provided grant support of £5,000 per annum to the IWA in recent years for this scheme the board have not cutback their funding to the IWA as might have been suggested by the Deputy. I am aware that the home care attendants scheme is providing a valuable service for those involved in caring.

If the Irish Wheelchair Association are experiencing difficulties in relation to this scheme in the Southern Health Board area, I would suggest that the association should discuss the matter with the board officials.