Homecare services need to be regulated in Ireland as a matter of priority, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said.

According to HIQA CEO, Phelim Quinn, there is currently ‘no system in place to ensure that vulnerable people are receiving safe and high-quality care in the home setting'.

"All people under the care of the State have the right to receive the best possible care and to be protected from abuse, regardless of whether they live in a residential centre or in their own homes," Mr Quinn commented.

In a submission to the Department of Health's public consultation on homecare services, HIQA emphasised that in the absence of any independent regulation, the safety and quality of homecare services cannot be guaranteed, putting vulnerable people at risk in their own homes.

The submission noted that a ‘clear and comprehensive definition' of what is meant by homecare is needed.

"The consultation paper clearly states that homecare services means home help, homecare packages and intensive homecare packages. This excludes other kinds of care which happen in the home, for example, personal assistants for people with disabilities or intensive private nursing care. The department might consider a broader scope which would encompass all forms of care provided to people in their homes," it stated.

Mr Quinn pointed out that regulations should apply ‘to the service being provided rather than to the physical location'.

"This would mean that that all service providers would be required to meet legally-binding homecare standards as set by an independent national regulator, reassuring people receiving care, and their loved ones, that the care being delivered is safe and of a high quality," he said.

A national opinion poll carried out earlier this year revealed that 76% of people incorrectly thought that homecare services for older and vulnerable people were already independently regulated.

"There are currently no quality standards in relation to the provision of homecare. It is HIQA's view that both regulations and standards should be developed and that this would be a positive step in improving the quality and safety of homecare services," the submission stated.

HIQA's submission to the Department of Health's consultation can be read here