Written answers

Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Department of Health

Nursing Homes Support Scheme

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1014. To ask the Minister for Health if the issues raised in correspondence from a person (details supplied) regarding the fair deal care for older persons living in the community or in sheltered housing will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21144/20]

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term residential care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings. As the NHSS is governed by primary legislation, changes to the legislation would be required to action any amendments in relation to the scope of the support provided under the Scheme.

To enable people to continue to live at home for as long as possible, the Department is progressing the establishment of a new stand-alone statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home support services. The new scheme will be designed to integrate effectively with the Nursing Home Support Scheme and other health supports, including nursing, therapies and other primary care services, and will support equitable access to services based on an assessment of need. It will also provide transparency about service allocation while ensuring that the scheme operates consistently and fairly across the country.

The new scheme will build on the HSE’s continual enhancement of existing service provision and on emerging good practice across the current system of health and social care delivery. Alongside the establishment of a scheme, a system of regulation will also be developed to ensure that all recipients of home support are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care.

Work is ongoing within the Department of Health to determine the optimal approach to the design of the statutory scheme and system of regulation within the broader context of the reform of Ireland’s healthcare system, as envisaged by Sláintecare. This work is being informed by stakeholder engagement, which will continue throughout the development of the scheme.

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