Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her strategy in relation to the elderly; the measures she is taking to improve their position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37561/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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It is the Department's policy to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home in accordance with their wishes, and at the same time to provide high quality residential care for older people when living at home is no longer possible. The Government's commitment to the development of a comprehensive range of services for older people has been clearly demonstrated by the significantly increased resources made available in recent years. From 1997 to 2005 inclusive, additional spending on health care services is in excess of €302 million.

In the Budget package announced for 2006, additional revenue funding of €150 million in full year costs was allocated, that is €110 million in 2006 and a further €40 million in 2007, for services for older people. This is the largest ever increase in funding for Services for Older People and the package has a strong focus on community based supports.

Of this investment, an extra €33m (full year cost), was allocated to the Home Help Service; a sum of €30m is provided for 2006 and will deliver approximately 1.75 million additional home help hours. Investment in Home Care Packages amounts to €30m for 2006 with a further €25m for 2007. The aim of Home Care Packages is to enable older people to remain at home who would otherwise be cared for in a residential setting. A home care package consists of a range of services including Home Help, Public Health Nursing, Registered General Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. In the first instance the use of mainstream community services will be maximised to maintain the older person at home. If further services are assessed as being required, these will be provided through the home care package.

The Home Care Packages are designed to:

Facilitate timely discharge of older people from Acute Hospitals

Reduce inappropriate admissions

Reduce the need for older people to attend A&E departments.

Support older people to continue to live in their own community.

Additional funding of €20 million was provided for the administration of the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme in 2006. The additional €20 million is to support more basic nursing home subventions and reduce waiting lists for enhanced subventions: it is also to bring more consistency to subventions support throughout the country.

The Health (Nursing Homes)(Amendment) Bill 2006 is designed to ensure that the existing subvention scheme for private nursing home care is grounded in primary legislation and to help the HSE to implement the scheme on a standardised basis across the country. In addition, national guidelines on nursing home subvention are currently being developed by the HSE to ensure an even and equitable application of the regulations nationally.

The Government is currently considering new policy on Long Term Care and several principles underlying this were agreed with the social partners in "Towards 2016". These principles include, for example, that there should be one standardised national needs assessment for older people needing care. The use of community and home-based care should be maximised. Sheltered housing options will be encouraged. Where residential care is required, it should be quality care and there should be appropriate and equitable levels of co-payment by care recipients based on a national standardised financial assessment. The level of support for residential care should be indifferent as to whether that care is in a public or private facility. The financial model to support any new arrangements must also be financially sustainable.

The Department is currently drawing up proposals for the Government's consideration based on the principles in "Towards 2016".