Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 May 2018
110. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health the plans being put in place to address the impact that demographic changes and an ageing society will have on persons with disabilities. [23506/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The self- reported rate of disability has risen in Ireland over the last number of years with an additional 47,796 or 13.5% of the population now reporting at least one disability (Census 2016). This is an increase of 8% since 2011.
Of those aged 65 years and over, the number has risen by 20,319 to 9.5% since 2011. Generally, people are living longer including adults with intellectual disability who have acquired age-related illnesses and conditions. In addition, more people with a disability have more complex needs. Around 15% of over-60s with intellectual disabilities live with family members, usually with sibling or parents.
The change in demographics and family structure, increased life expectancy and changing needs for those with both a physical and sensory disability and/or an intellectual disability, has led to a significant increase in the need for disability services across all settings. This includes day supports, residential and respite services, personal assistant and home support services.
Disability services focus on enabling people with disabilities to achieve their full potential, living ordinary lives in ordinary places, as independently as possible while ensuring that the voices of service users and their families are heard, and that they are fully involved in planning and improving services to meet their needs.
The HSE recognises that in 2018 it faces a significant financial challenge in meeting essential demand, particularly in relation to residential placements for people with an intellectual disability. In this regard, they have committed to developing a strategic five year framework to support multi-annual planning for residential care services and community supports to include day, respite, personal assistant, home support services as well as therapeutic interventions taking account of national database projections and the need to develop sustainable models of service which achieve HIQA compliance within approved timeframes.
To meet the challenges arising from the increase in the number of people living with disability, the increase in age and life expectancy both of the person with the disability and their carer and the changing needs of people with a disability, collaborative working is required across the wider health and social care setting with the aim of improving access to services for all people with disability. It is important to recognise that the needs of people with a disability extend well beyond health service provision, and the health service will participate fully with other governmental departments and services in the development of cross-sectoral strategies to maximise access to services and supports for people with disabilities.
My Department also provides funding through the Health Research Board, for the intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.
IDS-TILDA is a longitudinal study researching ageing in Ireland among people with an intellectual disability aged 40 and over. This study is the first of its kind in Europe, and the only study able to directly compare the ageing of people with intellectual disability with the general ageing population.
The underpinning values of IDS-TILDA are inclusion, choice, empowerment, person centred, the promotion of people with intellectual disability, the promotion of best practice and to make a contribution to the lives of people with intellectual disability.
The recently published Wave 3 IDS-TILDA report marked the 10-year anniversary of IDS-TILDA and captured how much has changed in Ireland, over those 10 years in the lives of people ageing with an intellectual disability. Thanks to IDS-TILDA, more is known today about the lives of people with an intellectual disability as they age.
Further details are available from IDS-TILDA at https://idstilda.tcd.ie/.
