Nursing homes’ funding fear over new standards

PRIVATE nursing home owners have warned the Government they won’t be able to comply with new quality standards unless they receive funding from the Department of Health.

A letter has been written to Health Minister Mary Harney outlining concerns about the costs of meeting the regulatory standards and requesting the completion of a regulatory impact analysis as outlined in the Government white paper published three years ago.

Private nursing homes do not get annual funding from the State. The HSE pays for private nursing care for elderly people if the person is entitled to a public bed and one isn’t available in a public facility.

Draft nursing home standards were published this year and are the subject of a public consultation process. After this, a final draft will be published later in the year. Once in place, all nursing homes, public and private, will have to comply with new standards aimed at improving quality of care.

The nursing home sector has come in for sharp criticism in the past two years following the RTÉ Prime Time documentary which showed abuse of the elderly at the Leas Cross home.

Public homes, which make up 35% of the country’s nursing homes, are not subject to inspection. Under the new regulations, an independent inspectorate will examine both public and private operations.

INHO chief executive Tadhg Daly said: “We believe these standards are critical to bringing about radical and meaningful change, and restoring public confidence in the sector.

“However, the cost implications must be addressed by the State and the necessary funding put in place simultaneously with new standards. Ireland’s care services budget is just 0.67% of GDP compared with the OECD average of just under 1%.

“Standards without funding and enforcement are just words on a page. Once complete, the Department [of Health] needs to provide funding to ensure the standards are met with adequate staffing, training, increased therapist input, and increased specialist input. As it is, the HSE is constantly trying to lower the fees it pays to us.”

A HSE spokesman said it was a matter for the Department of Health but added it does not fund private nursing homes, and its income is generally generated from private fees.