Service for Older People and Palliative Care Services

Field Content
Division: Office for Older People
Unit: Service for Older People and Palliative Care Services
Head: Geraldine Fitzpatrick
Functions:
  • Policy matters in the area of services for older people and palliative care.
  • Monitoring outcomes of investment programme including investment in community and residential services and supports for older people.
  • New residential care policy - A Fair Deal.
  • National standards for residential care settings for older people.
  • Registration of Nursing Home Subvention Systems.
  • Evaluation of the performance of the Home Care Packages Scheme for Older People.
  • Oversight of implementation of policy against elder abuse.
  • Progress implementation of palliative care policy, including development of paediatric palliative care policy.
  • Management of litigation initiated by residents of private nursing homes.
  • Osteoporosis (other than prevention aspect).
  • Liaison with the Department of Social and Family Affairs on policy matters relating to carers.
  • Role in cross-Departmental development of policy on sheltered housing.
Primary Legislation:
  • Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990
  • Health (Nursing Homes)(Amendment) Act 2007
Bodies under aegis of DoHC: None
Key Publications:
  • National Advisory Committee Report on Palliative Care 2001
  • Protecting Our Future - Report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse 2002
  • Expenditure Review on the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme 2003
  • Design Guidelines for Palliative Care Settings 2005
  • Paediatric Palliative Care Needs Assessment 2006
  • Draft National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People 2007
Working Groups:
  • Working Group to develop National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People
  • Inter-departmental Working Group on Long Term Funding of Services for Older People
Record Classes: Administrative records associated with finance, developments, interest groups, community services, individual issues, National Council on Aging and Older People (NCAOP), health staffing issues, palliative care, legislation, adjournment debates, speeches, briefings, Parliamentary Questions, Representations, etc.
Information Routinely Published: None
Significant Systems:
  • Standard Department databases
Personal Information Holdings: Representations sent in by, or on behalf of, individuals to the Minister may contain personal information. Information in respect of ongoing litigation initiated by private nursing home residents.
Purpose: As Above
Disclosees: Legal adviser, legal team, Department and HSE staff, as appropriate.
Notes: including info an admin access practice, Ebriefs etc.: None