asked the Minister for Health the range of services which he considers to be appropriate in order to provide a comprehensive community care programme in every area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Care Programme.
45.
The range of community care services which would be appropriate to each area would reflect the needs of that area. These needs will to a large extent depend on the composition of the population of the area and on whether the area is an urban or rural one.
I would consider that community care services categorised under the following headings should be available in each community care area: (a) Maternity and infant care service; (b) Services for children including school children; (c) Family support services; (d) Services for aged; (e) Services for the handicapped including the mentally handicapped; (f) Psychiatric services; (g) Home nursing services; (h) General practitioner services (including provision of prescribed drugs); (i) Welfare services; (j) Dental, aural and opthalmic services; (k) Infectious diseases services; (l) Control of preparation and sale of food and drugs.
The organisation of the community care services has been restructured recently with the object of bringing the services closer to the people in every area and it is hoped that the smaller operational units now created will lead to greater efficiency and greater flexibility in the delivering of these services.