Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 5

Written Answers. - Alzheimers Patients' Carers.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Ceist:

64 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to introduce a scheme of compensation for carers of Alzheimers sufferers to alleviate the hardship created as a result of budgetary changes in relation to covenants. [4039/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): In the first instance the budgetary changes to which the Deputy refers are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. The Deputy will be aware of the changes in the rules applying to the carer's allowance to be introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Social Welfare, which will enable more carers to qualify for a higher allowance.

With regard to the wider issue of supporting carers of people with Alzheimers disease, which is the responsibility of the health services, the investment by health boards in additional home help, community nursing, day care and respite services has increased the support available to suffers of Alzheimers disease and their carers. The care of those with dementia is clearly emerging as a priority for many boards, a development which I fully support. All eight health boards have indicated that they have locations at which residential, day or respite care is available for Alzheimer patients, although not all of these centres are dedicated exclusively to Alzheimer patients.

Funding has been made available by my Department this year to health boards to provide additional specialist services for those with dementia, including Alzheimers disease in south-east Dublin, Limerick and Cork, including the creation of the post of psychogeriatrician.

The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, which commenced on September, 1993, widens the options available to those caring for dependent relatives with dementia. Under the Act, health boards may pay a subvention towards the cost of care in a nursing home of a person who needs that care and who does not have the resources to pay the cost. Almost £15 million has been made available this year to fund subventions under the Act.

As Minister for Health I am very conscious of the contribution made by carers to the maintenance of dependent people in their own homes. I will continue to encourage health boards to develop and extend support services for these informal carers whether by services in the home, by respite care in a hospital or nursing home or long term residential care.