My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme, which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the Scheme towards the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant and for one year's free monitoring in the first year.
The Seniors Alert Scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department and Pobal. Pobal commenced operating the Scheme in 2015.
Pobal have been made aware of 3,714 participant who have left the scheme as of 31 March 2024.There can be many reasons that individuals can leave the scheme, they can move house, decide they no longer want the equipment, or move to nursing home care or pass away.
A number of changes to the Scheme were introduced in 2017, including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements.
The table below outlines the number of participants approved for the demand led Scheme since Pobal began operating the scheme in 2015, along with expenditure on the Scheme by year.
|
Year
|
Participants
|
Spend €m
|
|
2015
|
1,321
|
|
|
2016
|
7,301
|
1,800
|
|
2017
|
12,609
|
2,683
|
|
2018
|
19,228
|
6,984
|
|
2019
|
19,108
|
6,781
|
|
2020
|
16,719
|
5,081
|
|
2021
|
14,225
|
4,555
|
|
2022
|
15,577
|
4,589
|
|
2023
|
17,032
|
6,181
|
|
2024
|
4,867 (to end of March)
|
|
|
Total
|
127,987
|
38,654
|
