The consultation is being carried out in order to help inform the development of a new statutory scheme and system of regulation for home care services.
Minister Harris said that, unfortunately, the only statutory scheme in place to care for our elderly is the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (‘Fair Deal’) and that he intended to establish a new statutory home care scheme “which is affordable and sustainable”.
He added: “We will also introduce a system of regulation for home care so that the public can be confident that the services provided are of a high standard. By doing this, we will help to ensure that people can continue to live with confidence, security and dignity in their own homes, for as long as possible”.
Minister Daly said home care is an increasingly important part of supports for older people. “It is estimated that about 20 per cent of the over-65 population receive some form of community-based support service annually from the State. I am committed to enabling more care in the community for older people and others with identified care needs.”
The consultation paper is available online at http://health.gov.ie/consultations and the closing date for submissions is 31 August 2017.
