asked the Minister for Health if, in order to reduce the burden on nursing personnel and disturbance to patients, he will ensure that accommodation, separate from the geriatric units in county homes, is provided to cater for those who at present seek shelter in county homes on a short term basis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Home Accommodation.
10.
While it is accepted that it would be preferable that casuals of the type referred to in the question should be catered for elsewhere than in county homes, the Deputy will appreciate that in many instances this would not be feasible. Thus in three county homes I have been considering recently, the average number of admissions weekly was three, four and six and cost of the establishment and staffing of separate accommodation for such small numbers would be prohibitive. Where the numbers involved are large, as in Dublin, health authorities have set up such separate accommodation, not staffed by nursing personnel, and where voluntary bodies provide night shelters as portion of their normal activities, the services of such voluntary bodies are availed of by health authorities.
The position is being kept under review.
Would the Minister not agree that in some county homes where there is no separate accommodation the figures are much higher than those he mentioned? Would he also agree that casual people may sometimes come in, possibly in an inebriated condition, at night and may have to be accommodated in wards where there are old people who are trying to sleep and that this disrupts patients and nursing staff who may have to receive them at 4 a.m. if they arrive at that time?
I still think it is something for which the Minister should not have to make special provision in relation to a number of other demands, that is, preparing special facilities for the reception of people coming in in an inebriated condition at all hours of the morning.
Would the Minister not agree that this is really a very important element in geriatric care, that the services may be disrupted by failure to provide in county homes this separate accommodation?