§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of providing incontinence pads to homes for the aged; whether he has received any requests for financial help towards the cost of provision of incontinence pads for elderly people in voluntary homes for the aged; and if he will make a statement on the need for more specialist urinary units to help elderly people in particular.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergHealth authorities have discretion to provide nursing aids and equipment, including incontinence pads, to residents in local authority homes and private or voluntary residential homes, but this is dependent upon the availability of resources and the priority given to this particular service. Information on the cost of providing incontinence pads to homes for the aged is not collected centrally.
From time to time the Department receives requests for financial help towards the cost of providing incontinence pads for voluntary homes for the aged. Such requests are normally referred to the appropriate district health authority.
The assessment and care of urological problems in the elderly is helped by close collaboration between those specialists concerned with urological problems and those concerned with the elderly. This collaboration may take a variety of forms according to local needs, and the establishment of special urinary units is not considered essential.