Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Jun 1999

Vol. 505 No. 6

Written Answers. - Long-term Care Facilities.

Rory O'Hanlon

Ceist:

170 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to ensure that patients with substantial means are not precluded from admission to health board homes for the elderly and obliged to find accommodation in private nursing homes which may be a substantial distance from their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14523/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

The principal criterion applied to the admission of clients to the health boards' units for the elderly is the presence of a high level of dependency which can only be met by such admission.

As the demand for admission exceeds the available resources, it is necessary to give priority to those most in need. In doing so, the ability of the client to fund his-her own care in the private nursing home sector, with or without the support of the nursing home subvention, is one of the factors taken into account.

I am conscious of the need to increase the availability of long-term care facilities for our older people. This Government has more than doubled the level of capital resources for such facilities. The investment will accelerate the provision of additional residential care units, rehabilitation, respite care and day care facilities for older people throughout the country, as well as enhancing existing services, so that older people will have better facilities closer to where they live. The construction or planning of new community nursing units is under way in places such as Ballyconnell, Virginia, Clonmel, Killybegs, Birr, Achill, Thurles and Enniscorthy. A range of further capital developments are under consideration and it is my intention to make further significant improvements to the range of services provided for older people during the lifetime of this Government.