Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 November 2020
205. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the impacts being assessed for older persons being limited in their movement due to level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34218/20]
View answerThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to extraordinary demands on everyone across all age groups and this has to be recognised and acknowledged. The Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over the next 6 - 9 months. The plan sets out five levels of response, each with several measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It aims to allow society and businesses to be able to operate as normally as possible, while continuing to suppress the virus.
Prevention and suppression of the disease in the community is the critical first step to protecting vulnerable groups but specific measures also need to be in place. Keeping the number of cases of COVID-19 as low as possible in the community provides the greatest protection to those who are most vulnerable from the severest impacts of this disease. As such, preventing people becoming infected is still the most effective tool available to deal with COVID-19.
The Government has already identified the high-risk conditions and places where COVID-19 spreads most easily as well as the groups of people who are most likely to be affected and are most vulnerable to the disease. We continue to ensure implementation of the existing measures and will advance additional measures to prevent spread in these high-risk areas. We are aware that older people, particularly those who are medically compromised or frailer, are at severe risk for poorer outcomes from COVID-19, and that congregated settings such as long-term residential care facilities have been severely impacted.
Earlier this year, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommended the establishment of an Expert Panel on Nursing Homes to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort. The Report of the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel includes 86 recommendations in total, over 15 thematic areas, with associated timelines for implementation over the short, medium and long term. I have established an oversight structure to ensure the implementation of the important recommendations contained in this Report. This encompasses the establishment of both an Implementation Oversight Team and a Reference Group. I can advise the Deputy that there is a key focus on the implementation of recommendations that require immediate action to ensure ongoing preparedness as we move into the winter months.
Extensive guidance for medically vulnerable and other vulnerable groups has been produced by the HPSC and can be found at https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/vulnerablegroupsguidance/
I understand that the HPSC has recently published guidance for Older People and Others at Risk of Severe Disease on Reducing Risk of COVID-19 Infection. It is noted that the guidance should be used in line with the Five Level Framework.
https://www.hpsc.ie/az/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/vulnerablegroupsguidance/
Guidance%20For%20Older%20People%20and%20Others-Reducing%20COVID-19%20Exposure%20Risk.pdf
Last week, the “Keep Well” campaign was launched, which aims to support people and communities to mind their physical and mental health over the coming months. The “Keep Well” campaign is aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines. It will provide guidelines, information, and tips on things that will help us keep well through the coming months. The campaign is focussed on five main themes: Keeping active; Staying connected; Switching off and being Creative; Eating Well; and Minding your mood. All of these themes are relevant to older persons, with staying connected with people, addressing isolation, supporting volunteerism and initiatives that support person-to-person connection being particularly important to wellbeing for older persons. Building on the Community Call response earlier in the year, Local Authorities are being supported to provide a local community helpline and befriending service. Working with partner organisations, including An Garda Síochána, NGOs and Volunteer Ireland, there will be a particular emphasis on identifying and supporting those most at risk of isolation.
There are a range of existing services which offer online text and telephone supports to people seeking mental health information and advice. Details of these services are listed on the HSE website, www.yourmentalhealth.ie, and information on available services is also provided through the free mental health telephone information line, 1800 111888. In order to respond to the anticipated additional needs of the population during this crisis, additional online services are being delivered to support the population, including online counselling, expanded crisis textline support and online life skills training, building on existing pilot schemes and developments in digital mental health in recent years.
Finally, I understand that the fieldwork for an interim TILDA (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing) survey has been completed. Part of this data will capture the experience of cocooning during the 1st wave of the pandemic and the analysis will seek to determine the impact of cocooning on a range of health and social outcomes.
