Age Action has described the HSE service plan announced last week as very disappointing, saying it will do little to assist older people who need long-term care and support.
The organisation pointed out that the true size of additional supports for older people was substantially less than outlined in the service plan. Justin Moran, head of advocacy and communications at Age Action, said: “The service plan for 2016 is very disappointing and will make very little difference for older people. An extra hundred thousand home help hours sounds impressive, but in reality it’s just maintaining the number of hours already being provided in 2015.
“The truth is that the number of home help hours available in Ireland today is still far less than it was 10 years ago in 2006. An additional 1,650 home care packages were announced but, taking into account the number of packages allocated this year, the true figure for 2016 is less than a third of that. Every political party tells us they’re committed to supporting older people to stay at home as long as possible.
“To do this, we need substantial investment in home supports and a right to community care. Our members will be looking to see which political parties are putting those commitments in their manifestos in the coming General Election.”
