Elderly in hospitals could go to nursing homes

BEDS in nursing homes around the country remain empty while hospital consultants struggle to admit patients whose beds are taken up by elderly people well enough to be discharged.

Nursing home owners say a clamp-down on health board spending is to blame for the high numbers of elderly occupying hospital beds unnecessarily.

The Irish Nursing Home Organisation (INHO) had claimed some boards are refusing to renew contracts on beds rented from nursing homes once the patient dies, thus reducing the number of contract beds available.