The provision of services for Alzheimer patients in Dublin's northside is a matter in the first instance for the Eastern Health Board. I understand from the Eastern Health Board that there are two day centres on the northside which specially cater for those suffering from Alzheimers – St. Gabriels, Edenmore and Sybil Hill, Raheny – both of which are funded or part-funded by the Eastern Health Board.
In community care areas six and seven which covers the northside of the city, the department of psychiatry of old age offers a range of services for patients who develop a functional mental illness and Alzheimers. In excess of 100 beds are available to the psychiatry of old age services and there is also access to a limited number of contract private nursing home places. There is also access to psychiatric beds to patients under 65 with a mental illness and Alzheimers through their catchment area service.
At present there is no dedicated old age psychiatry services in community care area eight, which covers parts of Dublin's northside and north County Dublin. The general psychiatric service based on St. Ita's Hospital offers a range of acute and residential places to patients suffering from a mental illness and Alzheimers. Patients over 65 with Alzheimers who exhibit no behaviour disturbance are also catered for in the Eastern Health Board's hospitals and homes for older people on the northside.