Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Written Answers. - Services for the Elderly.

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

504 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures he has taken since 1997 to improve the position of the elderly; the position in relation to medical cards and the elderly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1325/02]

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

The policy of the Department of Health and Children is to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home in accordance with their wishes, as expressed in many research studies, to restore to independence at home those older people who become ill or dependent, to encourage and support the care of older people in their own community by family, neighbours and voluntary bodies and to provide a high quality of hospital and residential care for older people when they can no longer be maintained in dignity and independence at home. This overall approach is emphasised in the recently published health strategy.

Additional revenue funding for the development of services for older people has increased significantly from 12.7 million in 1997 to an additional 72.91 million in 2001, including nursing home subvention funding. This resulted in over 1,300 additional staff being approved for services for older people between 1997 and 2001. Between 1998 and 2001 over 550 additional beds have been provided in new community nursing units and over 1,250 day places per week were provided in new day care centres.

Additional funding of 87.807 million is being made available in 2002 for services for older people to include,inter alia, the following: 2.093 million for enhancing the scope of the home help service to cover more people and to provide more hours for existing clients, as well as providing training courses; 2.815 million for the improvement of community support structures, specifically geared towards the support of older people in their homes, through a range of measures; 1.029 million for carers support. This continues the initiative which began in 1999 to help carers through the provision of, or payment for, a specific service, e.g. respite or assistance in caring; 0.451 million to the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland for the provision of day care; 0.172 million to a number of voluntary groups; 3.228 million for the improvement in staff ratios to help cope with the growing level of dependency in extended care facilities; 26.974 million for improvements in the nursing home subvention scheme; 6.488 million under demographics, for the provision of services for older people, i.e., continuing-extended care and community based services to respond to additional pressures on the system; 34 million to commence the implementation of the provisions in the new health strategy under services for older people, including funding for voluntary organisations and 10.557 million for the improvement and enhancement of existing services, e.g., additional funding provided to com munity nursing units, day care centres, community services, as well as a contribution towards improvements in home help pay, and for innovative approaches to the delivery of services for older people at a local level.

It was decided in 1999 to double the income threshold for persons aged 70 years and over for the purpose of medical card assessment in three phases: phase one, in March 1999, phase two in March 2000 and phase three in March 2001.

In the budget of December 2000 a decision was made to grant medical cards automatically to all persons aged 70 years and over applying for a medical card for the first time in the community, regardless of their income. This initiative was implemented with effect from 1 July 2001.