Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nursing Homes.

John Dennehy

Question:

443 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself that sufficient checks are in place to ensure that proper standards of care are maintained in State and privately run nursing homes; his views on the best way in which to increase capacity in the nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18829/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. Callely):

The Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards are committed in the first instance to providing quality health and social services to those living within their functional areas. A number of health boards have also sought professional quality accreditation for services, including services for older people.

There is a commitment in the national health strategy to extend the remit of the social services inspectorate to residential care for older people. At present health boards are involved in the preparation of draft standards of care for residential institutions for older people. These draft standards will build on the standards required of private nursing homes under the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993 and have regard to international good practice in this area. The Department has also had preliminary discussions with the social services inspectorate to involve it in the drawing up of these standards in order that appropriate standards will be in place when the remit of the inspectorate is extended to cover residential care for older people.

As previously stated, the standards of care in private nursing homes are governed by the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993, which set minimum standards to be adhered to. Furthermore, the code of practice for nursing homes introduced in 1995 sets out the best standards of care to which all nursing homes should operate. This code was drafted by a group of experts with first hand experience of caring for the dependent elderly. While the code of practice was intended primarily for nursing homes, it was envisaged that it would have an important influence on all long-stay hospitals and homes.

With regard to the question of increasing capacity, it is proposed to provide an additional 850 long-stay beds in 17 new community nursing units – CNU – under the pilot public private partnership – PPP – initiative. Nine of the new CNUs will be in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, of which there will be three in each health board area, and eight will be located in the Southern Health Board area. Each unit will accommodate 50 patients.

My Department is currently reviewing the nursing home subvention scheme to determine its efficacy in providing assistance to older people in need of long-term care. Among other aspects to be looked at is the question of maintaining people in independence in their own communities and the possibility of introducing home based subventions. The aim of my Department is to address the needs of a growing older population and a broad range of options will be looked at with a view to providing first-class care to all our older people.