Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

The Government's commitment to the development of a comprehensive range of services for older people has been demonstrated by the significantly increased resources made available in recent years.

The Mater hospital has 39 beds in a geriatric acute facility and four day beds specifically for older persons. The hospital has three geriatricians and appropriate staff support, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The geriatricians have links to St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, which provides continuity of care for older patients before and after acute care. The Mater is also participating in the proposed complex discharge for older persons project, the objective of which is to provide full medical, nursing, rehabilitation, allied health and social care services to patients over 65 years who have completed their acute medical episode of care.

The HSE has contracted the Charter Medical Group to provide a rapid access clinic to significantly improve access to services for older people. This new service at Smithfield will treat more than 2,000 Dublin patients annually.

St. James's has developed a proposal to build a centre of excellence for successful aging at the hospital. The HSE is examining the scope for including this project in its capital programme. St. James's is also participating in the proposed complex discharge for older persons project. In addition, St. James's Hospital opened a new falls unit for older patients in December 2005, which has treated 1,200 people this year.

The current phase of development at St. Vincent's Hospital provided for a new emergency department and ambulatory care such as outpatients and diagnostic facilities. All other redevelopment at the hospital, including inpatient care and a day hospital for medicine for the elderly, is planned for the next phase of the capital project. In the current phase of the building project recently opened, older people benefit from significantly enhanced facilities when attending for a broad range of conditions. Furthermore, in recent years there has been significant investment in medicine of the elderly for St. Vincent's patients. This includes the development of Leopardstown hospital and the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook. Consultants from St. Vincent's provide the specialist services for these two facilities.

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