New funding will allow Galway respite care services to provide an extra 400 bed nights for people with disabilities.
€10 million in funding for respite services has been announced as part of the government’s Respite Development Programme for 2018.
According to Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton the increased funding will allow Galway based providers to offer help to an additional 40 people.
The Fine Gael TD stressed that respite services are an essential helping hand for people providing care for a family member or friend.
“Caregiving can be a highly demanding and stressful responsibility, and no one is equipped to do it without some help. Just like the loved ones they care for, caregivers also need support and attention to maintain their own health and well-being.
“Respite care, which provides caregivers with the opportunity for a temporary rest from their caregiving duties, is designed to do just that.”
The €10 million announced is on top of commitments made by the HSE to providing improved respite care in its National Service Plan 2018.
The National Service Plan sets out targets of providing over 180,000 overnight places and more than 45,000 day places for nearly six and a half thousand patients nationwide.
