Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I highlight a group of people who have been a little forgotten. Throughout Covid, people have been admitted to hospital who are elderly and may suffer from early forms of dementia and other illnesses such that their release from hospital is dependent on their getting home care packages, and it may be their first home care package. There has been a delay in that regard, although that is a separate issue that probably deserves its own debate. As a result of the delay, they remain in hospital. In other circumstances, they may have moved to nursing homes or be in a patient category equivalent to that of people in nursing homes. Because they are in hospital, however, they are not receiving visitors. Many of them are not able to use mobile phones, and not having that face-to-face contact means they cannot have conversations. There may be a regression in their mental health.

I ask that we address the issue of this group and put in provisions for them to have the opportunity to be visited in the same way as people in nursing homes.This is a very discreet group of people and, because of that, a system could be put in place with the hospitals through which a family member would be given a specific pass to visit for at least one hour per week. That would be really important and valuable. It is important we highlight and address as a priority the plight of people who are in hospitals for a long time, who are receiving no visitors and who have no means of communication with the outside world. I call on the Leader to communicate the matter to the Minister for Health on behalf of the Seanad.