Jim O'Keeffe
Question:66 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in receipt of home help allowances; and his views on whether the home help system could and should be expanded and developed.
Written Answers. - Home Help System.
The home help service is provided by health boards under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970, which allows that health boards may make arrangements to assist in the maintenance of people in their own homes. By and large, the service is operated as a good neighbour scheme and is provided by volunteers who work on a part-time basis. There are approximately 9,500 home helps operating in the health board areas as follows: Eastern Health Board, 2,920; Midland Health Board, 630; Mid-Western Health Board, 710; North-Eastern Health Board, 980; North-Western Health Board, 540; South-Eastern Health Board, 1,100; Southern Health Board, 1,680; Western Health Board, 1,030.
The home help scheme plays an important part in the community care service and is availed of by 15,673 families and individuals throughout the State. The vast majority using the service are the elderly. The latest information available to the Department on the breakdown of service beneficiaries is provided on the schedule below.
In recent years, an additional £9 million was made available to health boards to develop services for the elderly and their carers. This extra funding has enabled the health boards to expand home help services. There are diverse arrangements for providing the home help service. Recently, I have raised this and other relevant issues with the chief executive officers of the health boards who have been requested to consider same as a group. On receipt of their response, further consideration will be given to the future development of the service.
Table showing the number of beneficiaries of the home help service by health board.
|
Families in Stress Situations |
The Elderly |
The Physically Handicapped |
Others |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
600 |
3,991 |
619 |
191 |
|
Midland Health Board |
245 |
637 |
62 |
156 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
50 |
794 |
186 |
96 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
63 |
1,102 |
52 |
28 |
|
North-Western Health Board |
115 |
928 |
78 |
56 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
63 |
874 |
30 |
13 |
|
Southern Health Board |
82 |
2,261 |
64 |
86 |
|
Western Health Board |
547 |
1,491 |
72 |
39 |