The Health Service Executive has been piloting home care grant schemes in a number of areas. These schemes have been targeted at supporting older people living in the community as an alternative to long-term residential care and older people who are being discharged from the acute hospital system. In the HSE eastern regional area, people have been discharged from acute hospitals under the Slán Abhaile and Home First pilot projects. In the HSE southern area, a similar project, Curam, has been piloted, while the Choice programme in the HSE north west area has been in operation for some time. A number of these pilots have been evaluated and the consensus is that they have been successful in supporting older people at home.
Funding of €2 million has been allocated to the HSE in 2005 to develop the scheme further. In addition, funding of €113.75 million was allocated in 2004 for the home help service to support older people living in the community, with this funding being increased to €118.75 million in 2005. In addition, as part of the Tánaiste's ten point plan to relieve ongoing pressure on acute hospital beds and accident and emergency services, it is proposed that the home care package scheme be expanded to support 500 additional older people who have been discharged from the acute hospital sector to their own home.
Regarding the individual case raised by the Deputy, the question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
