The Department of Health has today published "Domiciliary Care Services for Adults in Northern Ireland (2022)".

The bulletin presents information on the numbers of clients receiving domiciliary care, contact hours, domiciliary care visits and intensive domiciliary care provision.

The publication of the "Domiciliary Care Services for Adults in Northern Ireland (2022)" is based on the domiciliary care survey week 4th to 10th September 2022.

Key Facts and Figures:

During the survey week in September 2022:

Contact Hours

• an estimated 296,467 contact hours of domiciliary care were provided by HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland, a decrease of -1% (-3,357) from the survey week in 2021.

• the statutory sector provided 28% of domiciliary care contact hours, with 72% provided by the independent sector.

• an average of 13.1 domiciliary care contact hours were provided per client, a decrease compared to 2021 (13.2).

Clients Receiving Domiciliary Care

• HSC Trusts provided domiciliary care services for 22,575 clients, a decrease of less than 1% (-118) from the survey week in 2021 (22,693).

Domiciliary Care Visits

• 551,508 domiciliary care visits were provided to clients; 24% from the statutory sector and 76% from the independent sector.

• just over half, (55%) of all domiciliary care visits provided to clients were between 16 and 30 minutes long. Just under one third, (31%) visits were 15 minutes or less and approximately 1 in 7 (14%) were more than 30 minutes long

• 10,061 clients received a domiciliary care visit lasting 15 minutes or less; just under half, (45%) of all clients receiving domiciliary care.

Clients Receiving Intensive Domiciliary Care

• 9,453 clients received intensive domiciliary care services, which is defined as 6 or more visits and more than 10 contact hours during the survey week; a decrease of -4% compared to the survey week in 2021 (9,843).