One of the key elements in all of our health service reforms has been the emphasis on keeping the patient, resident or client and their families at the very centre of all decisions and decision making. I would like to reassure the Deputy that all our efforts in health reform will continue to be centred on the people who need health services.
The National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland developed by the Health Information and Quality Authority, and approved by the Minister for Health, clearly outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a resident, their family, a carer, or the public can expect to receive in residential care settings. The standards deal with the areas of rights of older people, protection, health and social care needs, quality of life, staffing, the care environment, and management and governance. Standard 11 is of particular relevance to the Deputy’s question as it provides that “the arrangements to meet each resident’s assessed needs are set out in an individual care plan, developed and agreed with each resident, or in the case of a resident with cognitive impairment with his/her representative.” Article 8 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2009, as amended, underpins this standard. The Article states, amongst other things that” the person in charge shall ensure each resident’s needs are set out in an individual care plan developed and agreed with each resident.