Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Health

National Dementia Strategy Implementation

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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523. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the Health Service Executive proceeds with development of appropriate training courses for family and other informed carers in keeping with priorities highlighted in the national educational needs analysis completed by the executive in 2009, and dementia skills elevator 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13314/15]

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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524. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure the early and timely diagnosis and intervention process for dementia, by maximising the access that general practitioners and acute hospital clinicians have to specialist assessment and diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13315/15]

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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525. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in the national dementia strategy regarding the plan to deliver on home care packages and respite care, and improve the supports available for carers to facilitate dementia patients to live at home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13316/15]

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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526. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide dementia advisers dedicated to the needs of those with early onset dementia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13319/15]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 523 to 526, inclusive, together.

The Irish National Dementia Strategy was published in December 2014. Its primary focus is to enable people with dementia to live well in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, and it sets out ways of achieving this. The Strategy is accompanied by a National Dementia Strategy Implementation Programme co-funded by the HSE and the Atlantic Philanthropies. Key elements of the initiative include:-

- the rollout of a programme of Intensive Home Supports and Homecare Packages for people with dementia;

- the provision of additional dementia-specific resources for GPs, who are the critical and initial point of contact with the health system for those with dementia;

- measures to raise public awareness, address stigma, and promote the inclusion and involvement in society of those with dementia.

The Strategy contains a set of priority actions capable of implementation within existing resources or by reconfiguring resources. It also contains a number of additional actions which may require resources additional to what is currently available and which will be considered as these become available in the future.

In relation to the detailed queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

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