Seán Haughey
Question:187 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children if residents of private nurs ing homes will be allowed claim incontinence pads on their medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12131/99]
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Supplies.
The supply of incontinence wear to medical card patients in nursing homes is a matter for the individual health boards having regard to the provisions of the Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993. Article 16.1 of the regulations provides that a registered proprietor of a nursing home shall not seek any additional payment from a subvented patient for any service which is considered essential to the maintenance of a person in a nursing home. Among the services which are considered to be essential, and common practice in most nursing homes, is incontinence wear. If, therefore, a person is being subvented by a health board, as would generally be the case for a medical card holder, he or she would receive incontinence wear as part of his or her maintenance in the nursing home.