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Care of the Elderly

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2012

Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Questions (582)

Gerry Adams

Question:

582. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if the Special Delivery Unit request for a fund to provide intermediate options for older people to allow them to receive care in their own homes was put in place; the amount of this fund that was put in place; the new initiatives the SDU have brought forward on the basis of this fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44118/12]

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Written answers

The Special Delivery Unit has been working on many initiatives in relation to older persons care and to date over 330 frail older people have been discharged with additional hours of home supports with a projected value to years end of €1.043million. This is likely to double in the coming months. A Re-Ablement programme (rehabilitation at home) is due to commence this month in Dublin North East and Dublin Mid Leinster and will discharge up to 100 patients per year.

Currently 190 transitional care beds are available in the regions at a cost of €4.8m over 18 weeks. These 190 beds are made available to frail older people who are waiting on Nursing Home Subvention Scheme funding to commence. There are 100 beds in Dublin Mid Leinster (DML) to which 133 frail older people have been discharged to date. There are also 90 beds in Dublin North East (DNE) to which 72 frail older people have been discharged to date.

Best practice shows that older patients who receive dedicated specialised rehabilitation have a greater chance of going home with/without home supports. With this in mind,102 additional geriatric rehabilitation beds have also been funded for the DNE/DML regions at a cost of €2.6m for 18 weeks. Of the 102 beds there are 50 in planning in Dublin Mid Leinster, 10 in the National Rehabilitation Hospital and 42 in Dublin North East.

The hospital sites benefitting from this initiative include AMNCH Tallaght, St James, St Vincents, St Columcilles and St Michaels in Dublin Mid Leinster, and the Mater, Beaumont, Connolly, OLOL Drogheda and Our Lady's Navan in Dublin North East.

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