Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 375: To ask the Minister for Health in his examination of the fair deal scheme, the cost for drugs to both medical card and non-medical card holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16329/11]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 376: To ask the Minister for Health the budget within the Health Service Executive from which ancillary services, such as physiotherapy, occupational and speech and language therapy will be provided to those with medical cards availing of the fair deal scheme; if the extent of need has been evaluated from the recent examination of the scheme; if so, the details of same; if there are sufficient staff resources to meet basic needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16331/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 376 together.

The examination of funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme identified that €48 million of Ancillary Services, e.g. therapies and drugs, were charged to the Long-term Residential Care subhead. The HSE is not is a position to break this down further. The money in respect of Ancillary Services will be transferred to subheads B1 to B4 (the Regional subheads) and, in future, such services will be charged to these subheads. The examination of funding did not extend to the level of requirement for therapies. Therapy services are allocated having regard to demand, availability of resources and on a priority basis based on clinical need

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 377: To ask the Minister for Health if the resource cap associated with the fair deal scheme includes an average time spent in a nursing home; if so the timeframe for same; his plans to revisit the calculations underpinning the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16332/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The cost estimates for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme are underpinned by a number of assumptions, i.e. the number of people that will require long-term nursing home during the year, the average weekly price of long-term nursing home care, the average income of older people, home ownership rates for older people, the level of married and single applicants and an average length of stay.

When the scheme was originally drawn up and costed, the average length of stay, based on information available at the time, was three years. During 2010, the Department was informed that this now appeared to have increased to five years and costings were prepared on that basis for 2011. However, we are now informed that the average length of stay is approximately four years. The Minister for Health is anxious to identify the reasons behind increase in the average length of stay in nursing homes. He is, therefore, requesting that the HSE undertake a clinical audit on the appropriateness of care and admission. The Minister is also requesting that the HSE commission an audit of circa 300 residents in public and private nursing homes to ascertain if there are differences in dependencies and in the average length of stay between both, and reasons for same. The results of these audits will inform cost estimates going forward.