Harney under fire over move to launch home help franchise

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney’s decision to officially launch a private company hoping to avail of a €150 million homecare package promised by the Government has been criticised as “inappropriate and unethical”.

Labour health spokeswoman, Liz McManus said the minister’s decision to officially launch the US franchise in Ireland was another example of Ms Harney’s “privatisation agenda”.

She also accused Ms Harney of trying to undermine the country’s home helps.

Comfort Keepers is an American franchise, which provides non-medical home care for older people and the disabled. They plan to open 10 offices in Ireland, over the next three years, and will hire 1,000 part-time carers here. The company has already secured home package hours with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Ms Harney introduced these packages as part of her 10-point plan to tackle the accident and emergency crisis - in order to ensure that elderly people could leave acute hospitals and thus freeing up beds needed by emergency cases.

Comfort Keepers managing director, Aus Power said the organisation is aimed at allowing older people to “live independently in their own homes for longer”.

“By providing training, background checking and insuring our care givers, Comfort Keepers provides the high quality home care that older people want and we deliver this as part of multi-disciplinary teams in conjunction with the HSE, thus helping the Government’s stated policy of helping people remain in their own homes,” he said.

Ireland has an ageing population with approximately 436,000 people over the age of 65, 44% of whom are over 75 years old.

Ms McManus said: “I find it extraordinary that the Tánaiste is tying up with a private company. It is inappropriate and unethical.”

“I am very concerned that such companies will be driven by profit and not by people’s best interests and also that all of this is happening at a time when home helps are having their hours slashed and can’t be guaranteed a salary if their patient is in hospital.”