Home care services are critical to allow older people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible and to avoid excessive admissions to acute hospitals. It is clear that the resources available for home supports need to be strengthened and we have committed in the Programme for Government to improving the situation. As a first step, an additional €40m has been made available for the maintenance and development of home care services to the end of 2016.
On 9 September the HSE published its Winter Initiative Plan 2016/2017. The aim of the plan is to focus on specific measures required to address the anticipated surge in health service activity in hospitals and in the community normally associated with this time of year. The Winter Initiative Plan will begin to take effect from late October/early November 2016.
One of the key objectives of this year’s plan is to reduce the numbers of people waiting to be discharged from hospitals by providing the specific supports and pathways to allow patients to move home or to an alternative suitable community setting which meets their needs. Achieving this objective will free up beds in the acute hospital system which, in turn, will lead to less overcrowding in Emergency Departments. Of the €40m additional funding being provided this year, €10m will provide for 950 additional Home Care Packages, with 50 HCPs being provided on a weekly basis over the Winter Initiative period. These packages will be targeted at 10 specific hospitals where this intervention is most needed.
