Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
768. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans for the HSE, his Department or an agency under the aegis of his Department to become directly involved in the development of retirement villages or to support the private sector in the development of such villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1479/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key principle underpinning Government policy is to support older people to live independently in their own homes and communities. The changing demographics and the implications for future health care costs underpin the importance of developing a wider choice of appropriate housing options for older people. The objective is to encourage and facilitate timely planning by older people for their future housing needs, and to rebalance the care model away from residential care to supporting people to remain in their own communities for as long as possible. As the research shows, this reflects the preferences of older people themselves.
Our aim is to ensure that older people will have more choice by developing a range of housing options that are suited to their needs, so they can choose the right option for them. These options may include supported community developments akin to retirement villages, housing with supports projects or other initiatives.
Varying levels of support will be needed to enable older people to continue living in their own homes and communities, including care needs where appropriate. However, it is envisaged that there will always be a cohort of people for whom residential nursing home care is the most appropriate option. The main issue is the significant gap in alternative or intermediary options. This is the issue that I wish to address. There is a need to put in place suitable options to give older people the choice and importantly, to ensure that care is provided in the most appropriate setting. This aligns with the vision of Sláintecare where there is an overarching aim to bring care closer to the community and the person's home.
In November of last year, I hosted an expert conference on housing for older people with my colleague Mr. Damien English T.D. Minister for Housing and Urban Development. The overwhelming view of participants, shared by experts, was that the development of a range of community supports and services in close proximity to older people is key to enabling them to remain living in their chosen environment. The outcome of this conference are being used by officials from both Departments working collaboratively together to inform the development of a suitable policy framework for housing for older people.
This work is actively progressing and a policy framework will be published later this year.
