Nurses' action could have consequences for the elderly

ORGANISATIONS caring for elderly people have warned that proposed industrial action by public health nurses could have serious consequences for thousands of already vulnerable people.

More than 1,550 of the country’s public health nurses will meet tomorrow to finalise details of their industrial action which may bring chaos to community care programmes.

“It would be a disaster, a lot of older people are dependent on public health nurses visits. They’re the linchpin of community care,” Age Action spokesman Gerard Scully said.

He said public health nurses are involved in a host of activities including health visits, arranging home help services and helping to administer subvention for nursing homes. Apart from that, many elderly people living alone come to depend on visits from public health nurses who may be their only contact with the outside world.

“We’re praying it will not happen. A lot of older people are worried.

“Families will have to take up the slack, but those who never married and who didn’t have children will be the most vulnerable,” said Mr Scully.

St Vincent de Paul is hoping its 7,000 members will keep an extra eye on the elderly, especially those living alone, if the proposed action goes ahead.

“We are calling on the State to ensure older people are respected and cared for. The nurses have a right to take industrial action if they want to,” St Vincent de Paul spokesman Liam O’Dwyer said. “Whatever the need to be met we will try and deal with it by bringing in professionals.”

John Heuston, spokesman for the National Council for Ageing and Older People said he hoped the dispute could be settled as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences could be very unpleasant for a lot of elderly people. Public health nurses are dissatisfied with benchmarking recommendations which they claim will see less qualified staff on higher pay.