Dr. Joanne McCarthy:

It is also about planning newer models of service. In this case people are looking for support packages that will enable them to continue to live independently in the community. We are carrying out research in Disability Federation Ireland on about 1,000 people under 65 years who have been inappropriately placed in nursing homes. Although they are predominantly residences for older people, because there is nothing else available in the system, they have been placed in them. That should not be the case. There should be a raft of community supports and services, whether it be for someone with an acquired brain injury or someone under 65 years sufering from early-onset dementia. There should be other options and packages available. It also depends of demographics and data, about which someone asked earlier. We are not planning in a way that is in keeping with the demographics. We may not know the exact person who will have an acquired brain injury, but we know what the trends are across Europe and they are steady. We should be able to use the data to inform our planning as opposed to waiting and reacting to priority issues.