On the 6th July 2017 Minister Harris and Minister Daly announced a consultation process on establishing a new statutory homecare scheme.
Family carers have been calling for many years for a right to home care. Family Carers Ireland will be making formal submissions to the consultation but we are also urging family carers to make their voices heard. Now that there is a consultation on what form a future scheme should take it is vital that family carers themselves feed into it.
We do have some reservations about the scope of the consultation and we are seeking assurances that it will meet the needs of all family carers. Those concerns are outlined in this press release. They include issues like making sure the consultation is for all those who need care in the home, not just older people. It also must include all the supports people need to care for someone at home including things like respite care, aids and appliances, housing adaptation grants and transport.
Saying that, the announcement of the consultation is extremely important and we need as many carers as possible to engage with the process. The first phase of the consultation is in the form of a survey which can be filled out online or be submitted by post. So we are encouraging carers individually and in their support groups to feed into the consultation before the deadline of the 31st August.
There is an easy-read and a more detailed version of the survey both of which can be found here.
We are told that this survey is the start of a broader consultation process on home care. The Department will also meet with individuals and groups so they can say directly what they think. As soon as Family Carers Ireland hears of these opportunities for face-to-face conversations we’ll let you know. In the meantime we are strongly encouraging all carers to share their thoughts through the survey. The more carers that take part the greater influence we can have.
Some issues to consider as you prepare your response:
- Where do family carers fit into the picture? Often carers are so concerned with supporting the people they care for that they forget to advocate for themselves. What supports would need to be part of a ‘right to homecare’ to ensure that you as a family carer are supported?
- What do we mean by a right to homecare? What range of care supports would need to be covered by any future statutory homecare scheme to be meaningful for you and the person you care for? (Respite Care {in-home and residential}, Home Care Packages, Home Help, Housing Adaptation Grants, Specialist Therapies, GP Visits, etc.)
- Who should the scheme cover? Previously under 65s and over 65s have been treated separately. Indications have been given that people of all ages will be covered by this scheme. If you care for someone under 65 how should their and your needs (as a carer) be taken into account?
- In order for your needs as a family carer to be taken into account there will have to be some form of assessment of your needs as a carer in addition to an assessment of the needs of the person you care for. It will be important to emphasise this point and to add your thoughts about when and how this should happen.
- Any future scheme will require more funding. Funding models could take the form of asking the general population to pay more (through a Social Insurance Fund or General Taxation) or by individuals being asked to contribute (from savings or from the value of their house) to the cost of meeting their care needs. Or it could be a mix of all of the above. You don’t need to have a deep understanding of these issues to make a meaningful contribution. Your own assessment of your ability or willingness to make additional payments to receive more support/services is something the Government will have to take on board. What do you think is the fairest way for home care to be funded?
- Home care regulation will be an important consideration too. This is regulation of home care services being provided in the home and not of family carers themselves. Commentators have noted that the home is not an institution and therefore regulation of one should not be the same as the other. As a family carer what are your thoughts on regulation of care that is carried out in the home.
