Families in the Armagh area who are waiting for home-care support have been placed at the centre of a call for urgent action from Newry and Armagh MLA Gareth Wilson.
Mr Wilson has urged Northern Ireland’s newly appointed Health Minister, Robbie Butler, to make domiciliary care an immediate priority after claiming figures relating to provision within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust showed “deeply concerning” pressures.
Domiciliary care supports people in their own homes, helping them to remain independent rather than requiring alternative arrangements when their assessed needs cannot be met. Mr Wilson said constituents had been contacting him about difficulties accessing the care and support required to live safely and independently at home.
Families waiting for care packages
Robbie Butler took over the Health portfolio at Stormont on Thursday following the resignation of outgoing minister Mike Nesbitt. After congratulating Mr Butler on taking on what he described as one of the most challenging government briefs, Mr Wilson called for domiciliary care to be addressed from the start of the new minister’s tenure.
“Many families are under immense pressure as they try to support loved ones while waiting for the care package they need or for additional support to become available”
Mr Wilson said the impact of unavailable or insufficient support could extend beyond the person assessed as needing care, affecting relatives and carers as well. He also said people who had been assessed as requiring help should not be left uncertain about when that support would begin.
He described domiciliary care as more than an ordinary health service, saying it could enable vulnerable people to stay in their homes, preserve independence and maintain their quality of life.
Call for resources and long-term planning
The MLA said he had submitted Assembly Questions to the Department of Health about domiciliary care provision within the Southern Trust. According to Mr Wilson, the information supplied in response pointed to significant pressure in the system and showed the scale of the problems facing the service.
“These figures should serve as a wake-up call.”
He said the new minister had an opportunity to place domiciliary care on a more stable footing by ensuring that the necessary resources, workforce planning and long-term strategy were in place to meet rising demand.
Mr Wilson also highlighted the position of care workers, saying they were doing their best in extremely difficult circumstances while the system remained under strain.
He urged the Health Minister to work with Trusts, care providers, frontline staff and service users on sustainable solutions. The stated aims are to improve access to domiciliary care and give people who rely on it greater confidence that support will be available in a timely and effective way.
Mr Wilson said he would continue pressing the Department of Health for action to improve domiciliary care provision and ensure people who require support receive it effectively.