Report Calls for Homecare Funding Boost

A new report has recommended that the State provide additional funding for homecare treatment of children with severe disabilities. The report claims this method of treatment is up to nine times more cost effective than hospital treatment.

The report, commissioned by the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation and entitled 'There's No Place like Home', found that the average cost to the State of treating a sick child in hospital is over €147,300 per year, compared with over €16,400 for children treated in a home environment.

Produced by Professor Charles Norman and Paul Revill of Trinity College Dublin, the report find that statutory homecare, as provided by the State for severely disabled children, is highly variable in its effectiveness. The authors have made a recommendation that the State increase the use of already existent Jack and Jill Foundation home care services, which currently spends €3m a year on such supports. The report also recommends raising the upper age limit for care from the current fours years old to six.

Other issues highlighted in the report include the lack of HSE experience and capacity when it comes to providing homecare for disabled children; and the worry and distress families of severely disabled children face - a situation often compounded by massive financial losses.

Download the full report here.

About the Jack and Jill Foundation

The Jack & Jill Foundation provides care and support for children with severe neurological development issues, as well as offering some respite to the parents and families. The foundation receives 19% of its income from the State, with the remainder raised through private fundraising and recycling old mobile phones.

https://www.jackandjill.ie