Enabling people to continue to live independently at home for as long as possible is a long-standing objective of the Government. To advance this, the Government is committed to establishing a new statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services. Sláintecare commits to the establishment of this scheme by the end of 2021.
Throughout 2019, my Department has been engaged in designing the scheme based on continual enhancement of existing service-provision and on good practice internationally in relation to health and social care delivery.
It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high quality services based on a person’s assessed need in line with a sustainable funding model and will integrate effectively with other health and social care services, such as long-term residential care (including the Nursing Homes Support Scheme).
As part of Budget 2020 €7million has been allocated for the testing of the new model of service delivery envisaged as part of the development of the statutory home-support scheme. As part of this, a central office will be set up to support the development of the scheme and decision-making during the testing phase. Any decisions in relation to the permanent administration of the proposed statutory scheme when it is fully operational have not been finalised at this stage.
