Vol. 506 No. 4
74 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the consideration, if any, he will give to providing financial assistance to elderly people many of whom are in nursing homes, both private and public, and require materials to cope with incontinence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15640/99]
The provision of services to those in private nursing homes is governed by the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, and regulations made under that Act.
Article 16.1 of the Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, provides that individuals resident in nursing homes who are in receipt of a subvention from the health board may not be charged extra for any service which is considered to be essential to the maintenance of a person in a nursing home and common practice in most nursing homes. Such services include bed and board, nursing care appropriate to the level of dependency of the person, incontinence wear and bedding, laundry services and appliances necessary to assist a dependent person with the activities of daily living.
The supply of incontinence wear to medical card patients is a matter for the relevant health board. In the case of non medical card holders the Deputy will be pleased to learn that incontinence wear will be reimbursable under the new drugs payments scheme which will be introduced on 1 July 1999.
