John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1091. To ask the Minister for Health when the Government will provide intervenors for older persons that may develop combined hearing and vision problems as part of the aging process to assist them to take an active part in every day life carrying out such functions as assistance with shopping, sorting out their bills or intervening at a medical appointment. [20596/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive Home Help Service is a mainstream community service which provides a number of hours of assistance to individuals with personal care and essential domestic duties. Home Care Packages are enhanced supports, over and above existing mainstream Home Help Service. The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2017 provides for a target of 10.57 million Home Help Hours to support about 49,000 people, 16,750 Home Care Packages and 190 Intensive Home Care Packages for clients with very complex needs. Services are provided on the basis of assessed care need, carried out by health care professionals and there is no means testing.

There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to increase funding for home support services, to improve these supports, to introduce a uniform homecare service so all recipients can receive a quality support, seven days per week where possible, and to review the management, operation and funding of national home help services. There are no plans at present to introduce a system along the lines proposed by the Deputy.