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Home Help Service.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2004

Wednesday, 24 March 2004

Questions (117, 118)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

117 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children if the North Eastern Health Board has asked some home helps in the Drogheda area to seek payment from the service users’ family members for additional hours to make up for the hours reduced by management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9318/04]

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Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the provision of health services in the Drogheda area rests with the North Eastern Health Board in the first instance. The board has advised my Department that clients for home support services are assessed and hours allotted according to need. The assessment takes the family input into account. Situations have been discovered, as part of the regular review process, where relatives, who wanted a more extensive service, that is, more household duties, etc., done, have supplemented the hours over and above what the board has allocated to meet the needs of the client. The board, or the client's public health nurse, may never know or be told of this private arrangement between the client, the client's family and the home help.

The board, further advise that it is not the policy of the board or it's staff to advise clients to seek additional hours from home helps in any private capacity. The board also stated it would take a serious view of any home help who, on their own initiative, suggested or sought additional hours from a client in a private capacity. I would suggest to the Deputy that if he is aware of circumstances in which this has happened, he should provide details to the North Eastern Health Board.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

118 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason there has been a drastic cutback in the number of recipients of home help in Counties Louth and Meath from 1678 recipients in 2002 to 1455 recipients in 2003, while in Cavan and Monaghan the reduction for the same period has been 16; the reason Counties Louth and Meath have been targeted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9319/04]

View answer

As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the provision of health services in the counties of Louth and Meath rests with the North Eastern Health Board in the first instance. The board has advised my Department that over the previous few years, the budget in Meath and Louth had become significantly overspent as moneys were used on a once off basis for the provision of home help hours and hours allocated increased substantially. As a result of the board's need to remain within service plan targets set in January 2002, the NEHB found it necessary in 2003 to reduce hours allocated. I am pleased to advise that the board's overall expenditure on home help services has been increased. An additional €0.313 million has been allocated for this service during 2004.

Since my appointment as Minister of State, I have been encouraging the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards to introduce personal care packages for older people as an alternative to long stay residential care. Personal care packages are specifically designed for the individual concerned and could possibly include the provision of a home help service, home subvention payments, arrangements for attendance at a day centre or day hospital and other services such as twilight nursing. Personal care packages allow older persons the option of remaining living in their own home rather than going into long stay residential care.

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