Question from Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - PQ 64690-25

To ask the Minister for Health given the increasing number of older people presenting with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, if it is mandatory for all hospital staff , including those working in emergency departments, to receive dementia-specific training; the HSE or hospital protocols for patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s who present with delirium and are left sitting on a chair in an emergency department for extended periods, including up to 24-hours; the measures which are in place to ensure that persons with dementia receive appropriate, safe, and dignified care when attending emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter.