Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It goes without saying that keeping people in their homes and communities provides the best value for money. It also gives them a superior quality of life. Regardless of what nursing homes do, with the best intentions in the world, it is very hard to prevent people from becoming institutionalised in them. They have a significant amount of activities and other supports that allow residents to live a life as close as possible to life in their own home but living in a nursing home is a second-class option. Of course, some people have to go into nursing homes because of their needs but many people are still going into nursing homes when they could be supported at home. It is very important that we realise that the best quality of life is provided by allowing somebody to live in their own home.

I note that the Fianna Fáil motion argues that supported housing options must also be provided as an alternative to residential care. This is very important because there are low-support housing units around the country for people who cannot live in their own homes because of the quality of the house, because they are living in social isolation or because they are living in fear in isolated areas. When they come down into these supported communities, they are still living independently but they have a much better quality of life, greater security and care either from other able-bodied residents looking after them or the local community. These options should be looked at, particularly supported housing. Each community, parish and village should have a supported housing unit where the elderly can live in security with minimal or low support.

The other issue that arises is that many people are allocated home care packages but the carers to provide that package are not available. With the increase in employment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who will act as carers. I have come across people who have been allocated home care packages but cannot find the personnel to deliver them. I spoke to the previous Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection about altering social welfare rules so that if somebody on social welfare delivers one or two hours of home care per day, they would not lose their entire day of social welfare. It should be calculated on the number of hours per week rather than the number of days per week. If somebody on social welfare provides home care for ten hours per week, ten hours should be taken from their social welfare payment instead of removing social welfare in its entirety. Trying to find personnel to deliver home care is a significant problem.

When statutory home care comes in, and I hope it comes in very quickly, it will come at a price and we will have to explain to people that if the State is to deliver statutory home care, it cannot be entirely free. A cost must be attached to it otherwise it will become completely unaffordable, particularly with our growing population.

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