The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said today that homecare services need to be regulated in Ireland as a matter of priority. In a submission to the Department of Health’s public consultation on homecare services, HIQA highlights the fact that in the absence of independent regulation, the safety and quality of health and social care cannot be guaranteed, placing vulnerable people at risk in their own homes.

HIQA CEO Phelim Quinn said: “The majority of older people and people with a disability wish to remain in the comfort and safety of own homes and communities, where possible. Currently, most people have no choice but to be admitted to institutional care when they are no longer in a position to care for themselves. It is clear that we, as a society, need to consider viable alternatives to long-term residential care that respect an individual’s right to choice, privacy, dignity and safety.

“There is currently no system in place to ensure that vulnerable people are receiving safe and high-quality care in the home setting”, Mr Quinn continued. “All people under the care of the State have the right to receive the best possible care and to be protected from abuse, regardless of whether they live in a residential centre or in their own homes.

“Regulation should apply to the service being provided rather than to the physical location”, Mr Quinn added. “This would mean that that all service providers would be required to meet legally-binding homecare standards as set by an independent national regulator, reassuring people receiving care, and their loved ones, that the care being delivered is safe and of a high quality.” A major national opinion poll conducted by HIQA in May 2017 showed that 76% of people surveyed believed that homecare services for older and vulnerable people are independently regulated; however, this is currently not the case in Ireland. Furthermore, 90% of individuals believed that professional services provided in the home should be regulated by an independent body.

Read HIQA's submission to the Department of Health’s public consultation on homecare services.

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For further information please contact:

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement (01) 8147480 / 086 2447623, mwhelan@hiqa.ie