Vol. 413 No. 5
157 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if she will outline (1) the facilities which are available for geriatric assessment in the Southern Health Board area, (2) the number of people awaiting admission to a health board residential place for geriatric care and (3) the average duration of the waiting period.
The principal facilities for geriatric assessment in the Southern Health Board area are in the Cork Regional Hospital which has 22 geriatric assessment beds and two physicians in geriatric medicine. These physicians also visit other acute hospitals in Cork city and keep in close contact with district and community hospitals in County Cork.
In Kerry at present all assessments of the elderly are performed by a team of health board staff concerned with the patient. The Southern Health Board proposes to appoint a physician in geriatric medicine to Tralee General Hospital when resources permit.
At any time there is a small number of elderly people waiting for admission to health board residential places. If an elderly person requires admission to care and no place is available in a health board residential centre, alternative arrangements will be made in health board short stay beds or in nursing homes.
There is no information available to my Department on the average duration of the waiting period for a place in a Southern Health Board residential home. The waiting period varies depending on the level of impairment and need of each person seeking a residential place.
