Vol. 568 No. 1
575 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to address the lack of physiotherapy, occupational assessments and the waiting times for same for people in private nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15765/03]
580 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the supply of aids and appliances are not made available to people in private nursing homes throughout the country, similar to the aids and appliances made available to people in public nursing homes. [15770/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 580 together.
The administration of private nursing homes is a matter for the individual proprietor. However, the care and welfare of patients in these private establishments is governed by the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993 (S.I. No. 226 of 1993). Under these regulations the registered proprietor and the person in charge shall ensure that there is provided "suitable and sufficient care to maintain the person's welfare and well-being, having regard to the nature and extent of the person's dependency".
In addition, in accordance with section 30(b) of the regulations, the registered proprietor and the person in charge of a nursing home are required to ensure that "when a person requires physiotherapy, chiropody, occupational therapy or other health service, such service is made available by the registered proprietor or by arrangement with the health board." I am aware that it has proved difficult in recent years to recruit professional staff such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists and that a lack of such staff may be a contributory factor to some of the difficulties referred to by the Deputy.
With regard to the question of aids and appliances, I draw the Deputy's attention to section 16.2 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations 1993 (S.I. No. 227 of 1993), which defines a service which is considered to be essential to the maintenance of a person in a nursing home as including "aids and appliances necessary to assist a dependent person with the activities of daily living". The implementation of these regulations is a matter for the local health board.
If the Deputy has evidence of a patient receiving care in a private nursing home which is not consistent with what I have outlined, he should make that evidence available to the relevant health board in the area concerned.
