Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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362. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who transferred from HSE acute hospitals to private nursing homes under the transitional care initiative during 2016 and under the winter initiative 2016-17; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6703/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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363. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the fact that nursing homes are providing specialised care on a 24/7 basis in dedicated health care settings that are equipped with specialist equipment and highly skilled staff; his further views on whether nursing home care and home care have very different care elements and simplistic comparisons comparing them as like for like are misrepresentative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6704/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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364. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the fact that the 23,000 plus persons funded by the nursing home support scheme have undertaken the common summary assessment report, as required for every applicant applying for the scheme, and by consequence have all been assessed by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals as requiring nursing home care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6705/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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365. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the fact that persons being transferred to nursing home care are presenting with increasingly complex and high dependency care requirements (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6706/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether, for thousands of older persons across the country with high dependency care requirements, nursing home care is best suited to meet their care needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6707/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 to 366, inclusive, together.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their income and assets while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings. The applicant can choose any public, voluntary or approved private nursing home. The home must have availability and be able to cater for the applicant's particular needs.

It is the policy of Government to support older people to remain in their own homes and communities, and maintain their independence, for as long as possible. However, there will always be a cohort of people for whom this is not an option, despite the level of support that might be provided to them in their homes, and so full-time nursing home care is indeed best suited to meet their care needs. This is why the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is so important.

The first step in the NHSS application process is a care needs assessment to identify whether or not the applicant needs long-term nursing home care. This is carried out by appropriate health care professionals, appointed by the HSE, using the Common Summary Assessment Report (CSAR). This assessment will include consideration of the following:

- a person's ability to carry out the activities of daily living;

- the medical, health and personal social services being provided or available to the person both at the time of the carrying out of the assessment and generally;

- the family and community support available;

- the person's wishes and preferences.

On completion of the assessment, the healthcare professionals involved will summarise their findings in the CSAR and submit this to the Local Placement Forum (LPF). The LPF will then consider the CSAR and make a determination as to whether the applicant requires care services, and also whether the applicant is likely to require care services for the remainder of their life. This is a comprehensive process and has been put in place to ensure that there is no doubt surrounding whether a person has a requirement for long-term nursing home care or not. The LPF in all locations consists of a multidisciplinary team and in general is supported by a Consultant Geriatrician where they are available.

The comprehensive care needs assessment conducted as part of the NHSS application process, together with the fact that older people are entering residential care facilities later in life, mean that those entering long-term residential care will have reasonably high levels of dependency.

All nursing homes - public, private and voluntary - are registered and inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety in Ireland's health and personal social care services. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive framework, including the National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People and the Health Act, 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations, 2013. The Regulations require that registered providers must ensure that the number and skill mix of staff is appropriate having regard to the assessed needs of the residents and the size and layout of the designated centre.

Nursing homes provide an important resource in the range of care services available to older people in Ireland. They play a vital role in ensuring that older people have access to the high quality of care and support they deserve at a vulnerable stage in their lives.

Homecare is an increasingly important part of the supports that we offer to older people, and will continue to increase in importance into the future. Services are provided on the basis of assessed health care need and there is no means testing. However, home care services are not currently formally regulated. It is my view, and that of the Government, that we need a stand-alone funding scheme designed for homecare that recognises its particular characteristics together with regulation of homecare services. The development of a regulatory and funding model for homecare services is a complex undertaking involving very significant legislative, operational and financial resources. The development of such a scheme is a priority for me, as Minister.