Vol. 420 No. 3
123 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the pilot scheme currently in place to provide elderly people with audio communication with emergency services, he will outline any existing plans he has to extend the scheme; and if he will provide a timetable for this expansion.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the alarm system for the elderly which was launched on a pilot basis in the Dublin South Inner City area on 15 May last. This system is based on the recommendations of The Years Ahead which were that the long term goal of each health board should be to provide a telephone or radio based alarm to elderly persons living alone and assessed by the district team for the elderly as being at medical or social risk. It is the policy of my Department to encourage health boards to provide alarm systems as part of their overall services for the elderly.
