Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. This is a very important debate on which I am glad to make a contribution. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for all her work in this area. I also commend and acknowledge the ongoing work of the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, which I believe was established by the Minister of State and former Senator Colette Kelleher. I know this is an area about which the Minister of State is very passionate. She has done phenomenal work in the area.

There are many people across this island living with dementia and they deserve our support every day of the year, not just during brain health week. I want to highlight the figures that others have highlighted. Some 64,000 people in Ireland currently live with dementia. Those numbers are predicted to rise to 150,000 by 2050, which is shocking. It is essential that we adequately plan to support these people who are our loved ones, parents, siblings and partners.

I will also use the opportunity presented by brain health week to once again raise the urgent issue of adult safeguarding. I have spoken many times in this Chamber about the urgent need for the Government to progress adult safeguarding legislation to support and safeguard adults across the State who are at risk of abuse. Adults at risk of abuse include those living with dementia. Indeed, those living with dementia are likely to be impacted more by particular forms of abuse. It is important that we develop legislation which safeguards and supports the rights of all adults living with dementia.

I will read out some facts and statistics from the most recent annual report of the national safeguarding office of the HSE. In 2020, there were 3,412 notifications of safeguarding concerns for persons aged over 65. For those people aged over 65, the most significant categories of alleged abuse are psychological abuse, physical abuse and financial abuse. Alleged financial abuse and neglect increase with age, with the highest level of reporting in those over 80 years of age. Among those aged over 65, it was immediate family members who were most commonly the subject of safeguarding concerns, which is very sad, to be honest. The rate of alleged abuse of adults aged 65 or over is more than double that for younger adults.

As the prevalence of dementia increases dramatically for those over 65 years of age, we must, therefore, consider how adult safeguarding can support the rights of those living with dementia. The HSE safeguarding report also notes that persons with dementia were significantly impacted by the pandemic, as I am sure we are all aware, and all the disruptions to care that resulted from it. The importance of adult safeguarding legislation was highlighted by the situation in nursing homes during the pandemic and we heard recently that a wrongful death claim had been lodged against a nursing home in Cork in respect of a 64-year-old mother of three living with dementia who died of Covid-19 while in that nursing home. Those living with dementia have a higher rate of Covid-19 and so failures in care have very serious consequence in this context.

Introducing rights-based and person-centred adult safeguarding legislation is going to be key, going forward. The Law Reform Commission review of adult safeguarding legislation is due to be completed soon. I urge the Government to progress that legislation as soon as possible.

Aside from legislative steps we can take to safeguard and support the rights of those living with dementia, we can also implement a number of practical measures to improve the experiences of people living with dementia in our healthcare system. I welcome the Government's announcement last week of a new programme to upskill healthcare workers in dementia care.It is essential that healthcare workers are trained and supported to develop competency in dementia care. This is in line with the national dementia strategy and I am very happy to see that being rolled out. I hope it will not only be continued but expanded as time goes on. However, more can still be done at a practical level within the health system and our hospitals. For example, in an article which appeared in The Irish Timesthis week, Professor Rose Anne Kenny, a geriatrician, called for dedicated spaces and systems in emergency departments for older people, which is a wonderful idea. She notes that some older patients have intimidating or frightening experiences in emergency departments where they may not be able to clearly hear or understand questions and communications. Some may be confused as a result of their illnesses, while others may be living with chronic cognitive issues such as dementia. I remember bringing my mother into hospital and seeing elderly people wandering around the hospital, not knowing whether they were coming or going and not knowing where to go. It is very frightening.

I cannot speak on dementia and brain health today without bringing up the issue of carers and our duty to support them. It has been acknowledged that the bulk of care for people with dementia in Ireland is being provided free of charge by family caregivers, many of whom are adult children and spouses. The value of informal care for those with dementia is estimated at €807 million per annum. The widening of the eligibility net for carer's allowance last year was very welcome but as was highlighted by Family Carers Ireland, the additional €5 per week simply did not go far enough. I ask the Government to review the allowance to see how it can be increased and to outline what other innovative measures could be considered to support those who give care free of charge to their loved ones living with dementia.

Positive steps are being taken to support those living with dementia and I know how passionately the Minister of State feels about the issue. While the national dementia strategy is progressing, the Government needs to prioritise adult safeguarding legislation. The Government must consider what particular provisions should be included in future adult safeguarding legislation to support the rights of those living with dementia. I also ask it to consider the other practical steps that can be taken within our health services for those living with dementia, how supports can be expanded for our carers and how we can tackle early risk factors for dementia by improving child safety online, an issue I would love to discuss further with the Minister of State at some point in the future.