Written answers

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Department of Health

Care of the Elderly

9:00 pm

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to implement the recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission in relation to the regulation of professional home care, in view of his stated commitment to move towards a model of health care whereby more older persons, when appropriate, will be cared for in their homes rather than going into long-term residential care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8490/12]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Government policy is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. To this end, about 10,870 people are expected to receive home care packages and about 50,000 people will receive home help services this year.

Government for National Recovery 2011-2016 commits the Government to developing and implementing national standards for home support services, which will be subject to inspection by the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA).

The Department is considering possible changes in legislation, including the regulation and inspection of home care services for older people, as part of its examination of the overall issue of the licensing of health care providers. This examination will take account of the recent Law Reform Commission report – Legal Aspects of Professional Home Care - as well as recommendations of the Commission on Patient Safety and a range of other considerations.

However, it is important to emphasise that statutory regulation or licensing is only one way of improving the safety and quality of services and that other measures are already being taken to improve the standards of community service for older people. These include a new public procurement framework for home care services (with quality and screening requirements built in); new National Quality Guidelines for Home Care Support Services which introduce national standards for HSE provided services and also new National Home Help Guidelines which will standardise the distribution and allocation of home help across the country.

These various measures, taken together, have been designed to improve service provision overall, including quality and safety, for HSE home care recipients.

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