Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 September 2013
21. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address delayed discharges from acute hospitals in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39924/13]
View answer53. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of older persons and others requiring long-term residential care who are hospital in patients ready for discharge but awaiting residential places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40035/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 53 together.
The operational definition of a delayed discharge is “A patient who remains in hospital after a senior doctor (consultant or registrar grade) has documented in the medical chart that the patient can be discharged.” The number of delayed discharges nationally, as at 17th September 2013, is 653. Of these, 529 are reported as awaiting discharge to long term nursing care; the discharge of the others may be delayed for a number of reasons, including identification of suitable placements to address complex individual care needs or convalescent care requirements, community assessment of needs, or provision of specific aids by the community to facilitate discharge to home.
Whilst it is acknowledged that not all patients affected by delayed discharge are older persons, it is accepted that the majority of such patients are from this cohort. Although nationally ED attendances are down by over 5%, presentations by older persons (65+ yrs) are increasing. Up to mid-September 2013, the number of older persons admitted to hospital has increased by 17% over the equivalent period in 2012 and a significant number of these patients have co-morbid conditions and complex needs.
The HSE has put in place a number of initiatives to address this including increased allocations of Fair Deal approvals, the temporary prioritisation of Fair Deal referrals for patients in acute hospitals, the temporary prioritisation of referrals to long stay facilities from acute hospitals for older persons with complex needs and the improved targeting of appropriate homecare packages for older persons.
