Health Committee to discuss planning for home care provision

Representatives from the HSE; Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) and Health Care Assistants & Carers Ireland will appear before the Committee.

Chairperson of the Health Committee, Dr Michael Harty TD said today, “Demand forHome Care continues to rise. Allowing people to remain and be cared for at home – particularly elderly people – can greatly benefit individuals and can also relieve pressure on the health service. Tomorrow, the Health Committee will discuss the challenges people encounter when they wish to be cared for at home, but perhaps face an absence of appropriate supports in the community, which can consequently result in people having to rely on residential care facilities. To be truly effective, Home Care Provision must be properly planned for. Families who wish to care for their loved ones at home must be supported by the State if Home Care is to become more than simply a sticking plaster solution. Recruitment and retention of carers is an issue, as is regulation and also, the current limitations in available grants for Home Care.”

The meeting will start at 9am in Committee Room 3.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here