John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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381. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to allocate increased funding for the provision of home care for those suffering from dementia; his views that appropriate home care can keep dementia sufferers well in their communities and out of hospitals and long-term care; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that home care packages can also provide support to family carers who provide the majority of home-based care for persons with dementia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29382/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Home care services are critical to allow older people, including people with dementia, to stay in their own homes for as long as possible and to avoid excessive admissions to acute hospitals. They can also provide respite to carers and support them in their caring role. The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2016 provided for a target of 10.4 million Home Help Hours to support about 47,800 people. It also provides for 15,450 HCP and 130 Intensive HCPs for clients with complex needs.

It is clear that the resources available for home supports need to be strengthened and we have committed in the Programme for Government to improving the situation. As a first step, an additional €40m has been made available to maintain and develop home care services to the end of 2016. This year the HSE will now provide 133,000 home help hours and 350 home care packages more than was originally planned.

On 9 September the HSE published its Winter Initiative Plan for 2016/2017. The plan focuses on specific measures to address the surge in demand for services that is typical of this time of year. A key objective is to facilitate the discharge of people who have completed their hospital treatment. The Plan provides for an extra 950 HCPs over the Winter Initiative period and the packages will be targeted at 10 specific hospitals.

The Implementation Programme, co-funded by the HSE and the Atlantic Philanthropies, which accompanies the Irish National Dementia Strategy, includes the provision of Intensive Home Care Packages for people with dementia valued at €22.1 million. To date 133 people living with dementia have benefitted at an average cost of €1,000 per package per week. There are currently 71 people with dementia in receipt of a dementia-specific Intensive Home Care Package. Up to 500 people with dementia and their families are expected to benefit from Intensive Home Care Packages over the lifetime of the Implementation Programme. In addition to these Intensive Home Care Packages, the HSE will continue to provide mainstream home help and standard packages to people with dementia whose needs have been assessed as requiring these supports and within available resources.