Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 January 2017
487. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a level of funding of €67 million as identified by an organisation (details supplied) in its pre-budget submission to provide community and home based care to support and enable persons with dementia to remain living at home for as long as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3110/17]
View answerThe aim of the Irish National Dementia Strategy which was published in December 2014 is to improve dementia care so that people with dementia can live well for as long as possible, can have services and supports delivered in the best way possible, and can ultimately die with dignity. The Strategy emphasises that most people with dementia live in their own communities and can continue to live well and to participate in those communities. The Strategy contains a set of priority actions capable of implementation within existing resources or by reconfiguring resources. It also contains a number of additional actions which may require resources additional to what is currently available and which will be considered as these become available in the future.
A number of priority areas for action for the National Dementia Strategy have been identified, which include the provision of integrated services, supports and care for people with dementia and their carers. To meet this priority, and to support the implementation of the strategy, The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Dept. of Health and the Health Service Executive have agreed a co-investment programme of €27.5m. This National Dementia Strategy Implementation Programme contains a number of elements which include:
- The rollout of a programme of Intensive Home Supports and Homecare Packages for people with dementia;
- The provision of additional dementia-specific resources for GPs, who are the critical and initial point of contact with the health system for those with dementia; and
- Measures to raise public awareness, address stigma, and promote the inclusion and involvement in society of those with dementia.
The overall funding for Services for Older People available to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for 2017 has increased to €765 million and the Home Help Service and Home Care Packages account for about 50% of this. The additional funding for homecare is aimed at allowing people to continue to live in their own homes and at facilitating discharge of older people from hospitals when the acute phase of their treatment has been completed. The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2017 provides for a target of 10.57million Home Help Hours to support about 49,000 people, 16,750 Home Care Packages and 190 Intensive Home Care Packages for clients with complex needs including 60 clients with dementia supported with co-funding from Atlantic Philanthropies under the Irish National Dementia Strategy.
