The organisation has also welcomed the Home First approach, which will provide extensive home support packages to people with complex needs including older people.
Dublin, 24 September 2020: ALONE, the organisation which supports older people, has welcomed publication of the HSE’s Winter Plan for 2020/21. The organisation also supports the implementation of the Home First approach, which aims to provide home support packages to people with complex needs such as older people, and sees this as a positive step in enabling older people to age at home on their own terms.
The Winter Plan, which has been published today, aims to alleviate some of the unprecedented issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to cost just over €600 million. The main points in the plan include increased numbers of hospital beds available, improved diagnostic services, additional specialist teams and increased numbers of COVID-19 tests per week. The plan also includes the implementation of over 4.7 million additional home support hours by the end of April 2021, which will greatly benefit older people who may require assistance to remain at home.
The Home First approach brought terms is what ALONE and many other in the community and health services have campaigned for many years. It is a targeted work programme, which seeks to double the number of existing home support hours in order to offer full support to individuals with high and moderate levels of frailty, including people with dementia. This approach will include the roll out of a single assessment tool, which will support the Department of Health with the establishment of an interim Home Support Scheme this winter in advance of legislation.
The plan also proposes increased GP access to diagnostics, meaning that the number of older people being referred to outpatient clinics and Emergency Departments will be reduced, which in turn will reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. GP’s will now have three pathways to support patient discharge, using an assessment model in which all decisions are based on the ‘home first’ principle.
These are;
1. Home with community support and package of care (Home Support);
2. Home with re-ablement package of care;
3. Extensive Home Support packages for those with complex assessment of care needs in order to avoid Long Term Care; and
4. Increase Home Support hours provided to existing clients.1
Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, said, “We are very pleased that the HSE Winter Plan has taken into account the various challenges faced by older people; challenges which have been compounded by the arrival of COVID-19 in Ireland during this March. We welcome the implementation of measures which will further safeguard vulnerable members of society, such as older people. This is a difficult time of year
for many, so to have this plan in place is a huge step in terms of safeguarding older people who are particularly vulnerable at this time of year.”
He continued, “ALONE believe that to make this a reality we will need to integrate services in the community with these enhancements to the medical service. As we shift the focus to the home, there needs to be a greater variety of supports and a range of services, that are not just medical, to allow older people to live independently at home, on their own terms. The issue is that current home care services solely relate to ‘personal care’ and does not extend to practical household services. We believe that with the implementation of the Home First approach older people will have a greater say in how they age at home. The NGO Sector looks forward to how we can integrate and support this plan while we also see them major challenges in the amount of changes needed in the health care system to make this happen.”
ALONE is encouraging older people who need advice to call ALONE on 0818 222 024 from 8am-8pm, seven days a week. Contact ALONE if you have concerns about your own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person you know. Further information can be found on www.alone.ie.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Service Manager
Kevin White
089 409 0549
Balbriggan, Skerries & Lusk
Vacant
0818 222 024
St. Margaret”s, Finglas & Glasnevin
Maura O’Shea
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Michael Kennedy
086 440 2894
Telephone Support Coordinator
Jacob Shakespeare
Telephone Support Coordinator
Anne Marie mc Allister
086 440 7825
Telephone Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Officer
Sharon McManus
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Greg O’Reilly
083 385 1221
North Meath & Ardee
Paula Boyce
0818 222 024
East Meath
John Stillman
0818 222 024
Location tbc
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Anne Murphy
086 035 3904
Volunteer Support Officer
Frances Sheerin
086 108 5965
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
Aoife Callaghan
Sarah kerr
Aoife Callaghan
Bridgeen Coyle
086 032 6801
087 179 3782
086 032 6801
086 014 6732
Service Manager
Natalie Johnson
083 062 5854
South Dublin Inner City
Vacant
0818 222 024
Rathfarnham, Knocklyon & Ballyboden
Vacant
0818 222 024
Newcastle, Citywest & Saggart
Joe Sullivan
0818 222 024
Northwest Kildare
Annemarie Molloy
Patricia Scanlon
086 013 7256
Service Manager
Shelby Unger
083 060 2419
Volunteer Support Officer
Grainne Kennedy
086 108 2524
Volunteer Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Lola Fitzgibbon
086 084 1360
Southwest Wexford
Natalia Gembicka
086 014 4915
Service Manager
Siobhan Walsh
086 084 1674
Northeast Cork
Vacant
0818 222 024
Central Cork
Veronica Reidy
Clare Seymour
086 075 3867
086 107 9433
Telephone Support Coordinator
Geraldine Commins
086 013 1570
Volunteer Support Officer
Mairead Egan
087 253 1380
Volunteer Support Officer
Maria O’Connor
Volunteer Support Officer
Tracey Kearney
086 440 9893
Service Manager
Martina Kinane
087 407 4085
Caroline Bradley
West Limerick
Margaret Collum
Volunteer Support Officers
Aoife Dennehy
086 211 5307
Volunteer Support Officers
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Ciaran Gilligan
083 878 6080
Service Manager
Frances Browne
087 751 6087
Inishowen (CHN Learning Site)
Bronagh Doyle
086 171 6984
Inishowen (CHN Learning Site)
Gráinne Hargan
West Donegal
Emma Kennedy
086 720 8686
Donegal inishowen
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Deirdre Browne
074 932 1598
Telephone Support Coordinator
Catherine Reilly
National Support & Referral Line Coordinator
Kathleen Bonner