Joe Callanan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I wish to speak about services for the elderly. It is the Department's policy to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home in accordance with their wishes and at the same provide high quality residential care for them when they can no longer be maintained in this manner. The Government's commitment to the development of a range of services for older people can be demonstrated clearly by outlining the resources made available in recent years. Between 1997 and 2005, inclusive, additional spending on health care services was in excess of €302 million. Funding is provided through the carer's allowance and carer's benefit. I welcome the changes that have been made to these payments. The carer's allowance was extended to 24 months and the disregard pertaining thereto allows many more people to become eligible. The respite grant is very welcome.

The home help service, which is the cornerstone of community-based care for older people, is delivered as part of the community support service. This service is targeted at high and medium dependency clients according to need. An additional €33 million was allocated for this programme in the budget for 2006 and it is being used to provide 1.7 million more home help hours this year. The HSE has reported that the programme is on target. There has been significant demand for home help due to the increasing number of older people living in the community.

Provision for home help services is critical to supporting older people at home, preventing admissions to acute services, delaying admissions, continuing care and facilitating early discharge from the acute hospital sector to the community.

On community services, there has been a significant increase in the resources made available to the meals-on-wheels service. An additional €10 million was spent on the service in 2004 and additional funding of €2.5 million was provided in 2005, together with a further €2.5 million this year. This amounts to an increase of 50% over the figure for 2004. The meals-on-wheels service is one of a range of services that can support older living in their own homes.

I congratulate Ballinasloe Social Services on its 25th anniversary last week. The chairman, Sr. Alacoque, and the chief executive officer, Theresa Coughlan, are doing wonderful work keeping people out of hospitals.

Funding for nursing home subventions has been increased but we in the west have difficulty with the amount being paid there compared to the east and south. The rate in the west is far less than half that in the east and this is causing serious difficulties for those with parents in nursing homes in the west. I ask the Minister to review the way in which the subvention is paid and to make it fairer.

I welcome the proposals to build a new unit at St. Brendan's Geriatric Hospital in Loughrea and a new community nursing home in Ballinasloe. The new beds will be very welcome as the waiting list for public geriatric care in County Galway is very long. I compliment the staff of St. Brendan's on the great care they are providing to the elderly. I welcome the new health campus for Tuam, which can be used as a step-down facility for the Galway hospitals.

Some €55 million has been allocated for home care packages based on the 1,100 pilot care schemes in place by the end of 2005. They are delivering a wide range of services. It is planned that an additional 2,000 packages will be in place by the end of 2006.

The HSE has advised that 1,800 new clients were in receipt of home care in the first six months of this year. Home care packages are targeted at those in the community who would otherwise require admission to residential care. The packages vary according to the care needs of the individual, which may include the services of nurses, home care attendants, home helps and various therapists, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists. These packages are delivered through the HSE for a range of providers, including the HSE itself, voluntary groups and private sector organisations.

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