Caring for our elders - Elderly care regulation is a necessity

The Law Reform Commission has today published recommendations for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to be given additional powers of regulation and inspection in order to ensure proper standards in the care of elderly and vulnerable people at home.

HIQA already monitors standards in private and public residential institutions.

Rather than having older people go into full-time residential care, the Government has been encouraging them to live at home as long as practically possible. Those that need some outside help from carers ought to be protected by the enforcement of proper standards.