The HSE West regional director of operations has revealed that reductions in home help hours for the elderly will mean that taking care of patients’ social needs will be dropped altogether in order to concentrate on providing clinical patient care only.
John Hennessy, regional director of operations with HSE West, told members at this month’s forum meeting at Merlin Park Hospital: “There are 3.1 million home help hours planned for 2012, as opposed to 3.2 million in 2011; a total of 13,450 people were receiving this help in 2011, as against 13,460 on the register for 2012, so the difference is not too great.
“The message from this is that, yes, there is a reduction in home help hours as a result of the 4.5 per cent reduction in our overall budget but, in order to manage this, there will be a more targeted delivery of home help in 2012, through targeting clinical rather than social support elements for people in their own homes. That is our approach in regard to the reviewing of the service.”
He added that in relation to the Meals-on-Wheels service, much of this is provided by voluntary and community organisations, with funding from the HSE. Negotations were in train to ensure ‘that necessary reductions in funding have minimal impact on the Meals-on-Wheels service.”
