Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we debate this issue, it is important to acknowledge the very dedicated staff who work so hard to deliver home care packages on the ground to some of the most vulnerable older people. They can often be put under extreme pressure to meet the extensive care needs of the older people for whom they are caring owing to unreasonable expectations and unrealistic time constraints. Will the Minister of State take note of this and liaise with those in the relevant management positions within the HSE to ensure their staff on the ground will be managed as efficiently as possible to avoid incidents where a home care worker can only spend five minutes with the person he or she visits at the end of the day due owing the fact that he or she may have run over time in visiting other service users earlier in the day. The people working on the ground are passionate about their jobs and have a strong vocation which the Government must support and facilitate. I have always believed the funding allocated to enable older people to remain at home provides not only the best value but also the most humane result for older people. Many thousands of families help their loved ones to stay at home when they are ill or very frail and receive very little assistance from the State. This needs to change, especially to deal with the growing challenge presented in delivering dementia care services.

Real progress must be made in meeting the challenge presented in providing home care which is the preferred option of older people. It is well acknowledged that care provided in the home is vital in keeping people active in their communities which has enormous health benefits. The importance of the provision of home care cannot be emphasised enough.

It keeps older people in their homes and in the home environment. It is a proven fact that this saves the State and taxpayers large sums of money compared with either private or public nursing homes. More important, it prevents the holding up of beds in hospitals that are badly needed in accident and emergency departments. It also reduces the use of trolleys, which is an epidemic at present. I call on the Minister of State to continue to finance home care to the greatest possible extent with whatever funding can be made available.

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