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Home Care Packages

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Questions (956)

Richard Bruton

Question:

956. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of homecare hours he is budgeting for in 2022; the standards that will be applied to new providers before they are approved for service delivery; and when the emerging features of the new statutory scheme will come into effect. [52665/21]

View answer

Written answers

Enabling people with care-needs to continue to live independently at home for as long as possible is a priority for the Government. To advance this, the Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services. It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.

Work is on-going within the Department to progress the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms. This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service delivery.

With the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care which is safe, effective, and person-centred, it is envisaged that the regulatory framework will comprise (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (regulations); and HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.

Earlier this year, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home support providers. This is being progressed by the Department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined. The Department recently commenced a targeted stakeholder consultation on these draft minimum requirements. In addition, HIQA recently ran a public scoping consultation to inform the development of their National Standards for Home Support Services.

In parallel to this, work is ongoing in relation to the development of a reformed model of service delivery for home support. Within this context, funding was secured in 2021 for the HSE to progress the roll-out of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community; the pilot of a reformed model of service delivery for home-support; and the establishment of a National Office for Home Support Services.

The testing of the reformed model of service delivery for home support is scheduled to commence in November 2021 in CHO 8 (Longford / West Meath). Recruitment issues associated with backfilling of posts has impacted on release of interRAI Care Coordinators in CHO 2 (Galway), 4 (South Lee) and 7 (Dublin West). This has necessitated phased introduction of pilot sites however it is expected that all will be fully operational by January 2022. A comprehensive and robust operational model for the roll-out of the interRAI has been developed which will facilitate effective, efficient, fair and transparent care needs assessment and planning and appropriate service delivery. The interRAI outputs and pilot site evaluation will be critical to inform legislative and funding decisions in relation to the statutory home support scheme.

Recruitment of the 130 posts funded for the national rollout of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs is scheduled to commence in this quarter. In addition, a National Home Support Office will be established before the end of the year.

The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021–2023 commits to the advancement of the development of the new home-support scheme in 2021 and to the commencement of its implementation in 2022. While the new home-support scheme is under development, the Government is prioritising improving access to home-support services. Budget 2021 and the subsequent Health Service Executive National Service Plan allowed for an unprecedented increase in investment in home care and intermediate care to be delivered in the community. This high level of investment is being maintained into 2022. Details of how this will be delivered in 2022, including the additional 5 million home support hours provided for in Budget 2021, to be maintained in 2022, will be finalised as part of the National Service Plan process. In addition the proportion of hours ringfenced for people with dementia will more than double, from 5% in 2021 to 11% in 2022.

Question No. 957 answered with Question No. 777.
Question No. 958 answered with Question No. 777.
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