Terence Flanagan
Question:357. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide more hospitals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4191/16]
View answerTuesday, 2 February 2016
Questions (357)
Written answers
Public residential care units provide over 5,000 long stay beds, mainly for older people who require round the clock nursing care, amounting to approximately 20% of the total stock of nursing home beds nationally. They are of critical importance, particularly for those with higher or more complex care needs and it was, accordingly, essential that these beds be put on a sustainable footing. For this reason, I was delighted to announce last week an extensive national programme of capital investment in public residential units that will bring them into compliance with relevant National Standards by 2021. This significant investment reflects our determination to maintain the current public nursing home bed stock and will provide an additional 215 beds across the country.
Given the requirement for additional services to provide for the needs of older persons right around the country there will, in parallel with residential beds, be an ongoing need for the provision of short stay services such as rehabilitation, respite, step up, step down facilities, all with a view of maintaining older people in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. It is important to acknowledge that this is where most people want to be. Despite continuing pressure on the public finances the level of home and community based services were significantly strengthened last year and this will be maintained in 2016. This year the HSE will be providing almost 2,000 short stay residential beds, over 300 transitional care beds, about 10.4 million home help hours, and 15,450 Home Care Packages. In addition, some 130 Intensive Home Care Packages will be provided to support the discharge from acute hospital settings of people with more complex needs.