QUINN CALLS FOR EMERGENCY HOME SUPPORT SERVICE
Published: 12 January, 2009
QUINN CALLS FOR EMERGENCY HOME SUPPORT SERVICE
The Sinn Féin candidate for the Letterkenny/Milford area, Mick Quinn, today called on the Health Service Executive to establish, as a matter of urgency, an emergency response facility within the Home Support Service.
Mr. Quinn said :- "I have recently met with an elderly person who lives alone and who had contracted the flu during the Christmas period. This man's doctor attempted to have him admitted to hospital, however, this was not possible as there were no beds available.
The gentleman concerned, receives home support of half an hour per day and had to cope on his own for the remaining twenty three and a half hours.
Mr. Quinn continued: - "As this is unlikely to have been an isolated case, I am calling on the H.S.E. to provide a facility, particularly during extreme weather conditions and flu epidemics, to immediately increase the number of hours of home support being allocated to elderly people.
The provision of this emergency service would be of huge benefit to the H.S.E., as it would reduce the pressure on frontline staff, result in substantial savings as the cost of a hospital bed is in the region of €6,000 per week and would also ensure that elderly people would be warm and safe in their own homes."
ENDS
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