Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:15 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to expand support facilities for the elderly and the disabled who wish to remain at home rather than be institutionalised. [2082/98]
Written Answers. - Supports for Elderly and Disabled.
The current policy adopted by the health services in relation to the care of older people as outlined in the Department's 1988 publication The Years Ahead, is to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home with the support of the community care services where necessary and when this is no longer possible, to ensure they have access to the best possible medical or long-term care.
The National Council on Ageing and Older People, the statutory advisory group set up to advise the Government on all matters affecting older people, recently published a comprehensive review of how this policy is being implemented. The review identified a number of areas where the level of services currently being provided were less than adequate. Included in this category were certain aspects of the community care programme, and particularly care in the home. There is clearly a need to improve the level of services provided in the home by nurses, nursing attendants, home helps and by a range of paramedical staff such as physiotherapists and speech therapists. Dependant older people who are able to stay at home should also be supported by good-quality day-care centres. In addition, carers of older people need to be better supported and respite facilities need to be expanded. I am endeavouring to boost these services as resources permit and, in this regard, the financial allocations to health boards for 1998 made provision for the opening of additional respite and day care centres and the employment of additional paramedical and nursing staff to support older people in their homes. Priority has been given in 1998 to developing specialist mental health services for older people, which was one of the shortcomings identified by the council.
A full review of the home help scheme by a team of independent researchers is well under way and will be completed by early summer. When I have received the report, I will be in a better position to consider how best to bring about improvements in the overall organisation and development of the home help scheme.
In relation to services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, the overall thrust of policy is to provide the necessary supports to enable them to live in the community with the maximum degree of independence possible for each individual. This year, additional resources have been provided for the development of services such as respite care, day and home supports, including personal assistants. There has been a substantial investment in the development of services to persons with a mental handicap in recent years. Particular attention has been paid in developing services to the provision of support services for persons with a mental handicap living at home with their families so that individuals can continue to live in the community for as long as possible. In addition to the provision of new day services, additional respite care facilities have been put in place and the home support services, which were initiated in 1992, have been enhanced and expanded. The home support services are intended to provide assistance to persons with a mental handicap and their families in a flexible manner and are designed to meet their individual circumstances. It is proposed to continue to expand and enhance both the respite care and the home support services for persons with a mental handicap.