Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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850. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE is considering establishing drop-in care centres with services for patients with dementia. [37365/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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There are an estimated 64,142 people in Ireland living with dementia. This number is expected to rise to 150,131 within twenty years. The health and social care system will need to respond with more flexible and person-centred services and supports that address the needs of this growing number. The National Dementia Strategy, published in 2014, sets out a framework for the development of dementia supports and services in Ireland. The aim of the Strategy is to improve dementia care so that people with dementia can live well for as long as possible, can ultimately die with comfort and dignity, and can have services and supports delivered in the best possible way.

As part of the National Service Plan 2021 dementia received funding to expand the Dementia Adviser Service bringing the total number of Dementia Advisers from 8 to 29; with access to this service across every county. This is a vital dementia post-diagnostic support providing sign-posting, advice and emotional support to people living with dementia and to their families/carers. In addition, funding was secured in 2021 for the provision of Day Care at Home Services to provide a day care at home experience for people when they cannot attend their local day centre. This service was developed in response to COVID-19 and will continue in 2022 as day centres begin to reopen on a phased basis in-line with public health measures.

The focus of new service developments in relation to dementia is to enhance assessment ensuring access to a timely diagnosis and in the development of post-diagnostic support and appropriate care. This has included an additional €7.3 million in Budget 2022; in addition to €5 million recurring funding allocated for dementia in 2021. This funding will allow for further developments, including:

- Memory Assessment and Support Services with access to comprehensive assessment, postdiagnostic support and brain health interventions;

- Increase in the number of Regional Specialist Memory Clinics;

- Enhancement of Memory Technology Resource Rooms to provide assistive technology advice and assistance as well as cognitive therapies and other psycho-social supports to people living in the community;

- Implementation of the dementia registry to improve dementia data and to inform the development of dementia services and clinical practice;

- Development of a Brain Health programme;

- Continued dementia audit within acute hospitals;

- Funding for the National Intellectual Disability Memory Service providing access to specialist teams for this high risk group.

In addition, the proportion of new home support hours that will be ring-fenced for people with dementia, increased from 5% in 2021 to 11% in 2022.