Regulating Home Care of Older People: The Inevitable Poor Relation

Abstract:     
This article examines the failure of Ireland's Health Act 2007 to address the need to regulate the provision of paid care and personal services to older people in their own homes so as to guard against poor quality service and abuse. While the Health Act 2007 focuses on regulating institutional care, it is contended that a broader approach would have been possible which addressed the needs of older persons living in their own home. The authors put forward regulatory models for consideration based on the regulation of the home care of older persons in England, Denmark, Germany and California.

Keywords: Ageing, old, home care, social policy, domiciliary care, regulation, standards

Accepted Paper Series