asked the Minister for Health the measures, if any, he has taken this year to ensure that more elderly people are cared for, whenever possible, at home in the community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Care for Elderly.
8.
I have established a special division within my Department with responsibility for strengthening the existing community-based services for the aged and the disabled. My Department is at present working with health boards to review the effectiveness and efficiency of the home help and meals-on-wheels services, which are of vital importance to many of the elderly in the community. Other services will be reviewed in future years.
I am taking steps, in consultation with the various interests involved, for the re-organisation of the National Social Services Council and this re-organisation will involve the establishment of a national council for the aged to advise on all aspects of the well-being of the aged.
A national fuel scheme has been introduced with effect from 1 October to ensure uniform and regular arrangements for the supply of fuel to elderly persons and other people who are unable to provide for their heating needs from their own resources. It is estimated that 29,000 more people will be eligible for free fuel under these revised arrangements.
The Eastern Health Board has recently concluded a review of the services for the elderly and has made many recommendations for the development of services. These are at present under examination in my Department.
New day care centres and day hospitals have been provided at Falcarragh and Ramelton in association with the residential and nursing units for the elderly there, and at Dungloe, Kells, Clones and St. Mary's, in the Phoenix Park.
An important review is under way of the general organisation of the community care services of health boards. The efficiency of these services is, of course, of special significance for the well-being of old people in the community.
The full complement of public health nurses recommended by the working party on nurse workloads in 1975 has now been reached and a further study is about to commence of the adequacy of these staffing levels in practice. Public health nurses are charged with a special responsibility to maintain surveillance of frail old people in their districts.
The Health Education Bureau have published a booklet for elderly people which will give advice and guidance on the maintenance of a healthy life style by those aged over sixty years. The bureau have also co-operated with the special campaign for the elderly conducted during this year by junior chambers of commerce throughout the country.
In relation to the national fuel scheme to which the Minister has referred, would he accept that, in certain circumstances, people who are beneficiaries under previous schemes will now be worse off under the present scheme?
No, this is not the case. That was an interpretation which was given to the scheme. However, I made clear, in a letter to the health boards specifically, that no-one was to be worse off and, therefore, that people who had a benefit under the existing scheme were not to lose that benefit by the introduction of the voucher scheme on a national basis.
Is the voucher scheme not a scheme whereby beneficiaries will receive a £2 voucher over a period of 30 weeks?
Yes.
Is the Minister not aware of the circular letter issued by the Western Health Board CEO to the members of the board, pointing out that in previous years the Western Health Board made available either one ton of coal, two tons of briquettes or three tons of turf to beneficiaries and that the prices paid for coal in the Galway area was £78 a ton and £90 per ton in Mayo and Roscommon last year, whereas the total amount now available to beneficiaries will be £2 multiplied by 30 which equals £60?
That misinterpretation did occur, but I cleared it up in a letter to the health board that where turf briquettes or coal was delivered as a ton, two tons and so on this could continue, but that the alternative of the national fuel scheme was available. The reason why this was done was that while the scheme represents a very significant advance, as I see it, and extends the availability of the voucher scheme to the whole country — there were large areas of the country where there was no scheme whatsoever available — it does not overcome all the anomalies which may exist in different areas at present and this basic principle was one which I felt was important, that no-one should be at a disadvantage in that regard. That matter has been cleared up since that time.
Is the Minister saying that the standardised national scheme which he has introduced of £2 per week for 30 weeks has already had an anomaly built into it by allowing people who receive benefit greater than £60 per year to continue to receive that benefit? If that is the case are the people who are receiving only £60 per year not being placed in a less advantageous position than those who are receiving benefit greater than that amount?
The benefit was already available under the existing health board scheme. I appreciate that there are anomalies but anyone who did not have anything previously and is receiving the £60 voucher now will appreciate that voucher. People who had £1.50 last year in vouchers have had at least a 33? per cent increase this year.
It depends on how one measures that in coal.