Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the motion and commend Deputy Butler for bringing it forward. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the issue.

There is plenty of information in the public domain to substantiate the very valid calls for increased supports to all those affected by the condition of dementia. We understand that Ireland’s population is ageing at a rapid rate. We also know that the prevalence and incidence of dementia rises significantly with age and dramatically so in those over 80. Some studies estimate that as little as 10% of people's symptoms are caused by dementia itself with the other 90% resulting from the quality of care people with dementia receive if in inappropriate settings. We know how a person’s physical condition often deteriorates when his or her mental state is in decline. The living space for people affected is therefore crucial.

If we are to support a person’s right to a high quality of life, the State must take into consideration a person’s right to autonomy and the individual’s sense of identity. International best practice recommends that dementia specific care should be domestic like and small scale with facilities catering for no more than about ten people. Unfortunately, many facilities across this State fail to comply with those principles. Often, as a result, the preferable option is to live at home with one’s family or relatives. We are told that Government policy supports this approach but how do the decisions on cuts to home help, housing adaptation grants and carers' supports echo that?

The cuts are hypocritical and counterproductive. The reality is that the consequences of those decisions have pushed families unwillingly into long-term residential care. This is wrong and must be reversed.

Our party’s alternative budget proposals for 2017 identified housing adaptation as a critical area for those with specific health needs. We committed to increasing the central funding of grant schemes by 50% through the allocation of an additional €15.75 million. This measure would particularly benefit people with dementia and their carers, and support the choice to remain living in their homes. We know from organisations such as the Alzheimer Society of Ireland that the outcomes of investing in home care services and supports will: meet the demand for care at home, allowing for greater flexibility to appropriately meet need and reverse cuts to home care services; reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and shorten the length of hospital stay for people with dementia; avoid inappropriate, unnecessary or premature admission into long-term residential care; and reduce carer stress and support family carers. Ultimately, it is in the State’s interest to support this type of long-term strategy, which invests in people being as self-sufficient and independent as possible should that be their choice.

As stated by Deputy Ó Caoláin, more emphasis on community-based care has the potential to reduce the number of older people requiring nursing home care, on which the State spends the bulk of its funding. Why can we not acknowledge those facts and proceed in a direction that supports those affected in a progressive and respectful way, which will benefit the State as well? The measure of our society is in how we treat our most vulnerable, and the choices we make to provide them with the deserved dignity. The lack of ring-fenced funding for dementia home care in budget 2017 is foolishly short-sighted and an absolute shame. We know that the majority of the 55,000 people affected by dementia prefer to live at home in familiar surroundings. This is a fact. They deserve that choice, and for that choice to be supported in a way that makes it a reality. Our party supports the call for adequate resources to ensure full implementation of the national dementia strategy and the development of a revised and reformed strategy that prioritises dementia.

To conclude, we are happy to support the motion and I commend Deputy Butler on bringing it forward. This area is often overlooked and it is important that we discuss it.

See this speech in context