Nursing home deal unclear

CONFUSION surrounds the roll-out of the nursing home Fair Deal scheme, with advocates of the elderly warning only the very sick or frail may be able to secure beds under current plans.

Age Action is concerned plans to charge nursing home residents most of their disposable income, or a portion of their home’s value, will discriminate against the elderly, marking them out from patients who have cancer or heart disease.

“It is possible an applicant for a nursing home bed could be refused, on the basis that they should be able to live an independent life in their own home, with sufficient community care support,” Age Action’s chief executive Robin Webster told an Oireachtas committee on health.

The dependency test was still not decided and furthermore, regulations on standards for nursing homes under the scheme were still not in place, the committee heard.

It remained unknown what homes would be included in the scheme and how much money might be needed to ensure they had quality care or adequate facilities, TDs were told.

Legislation for the scheme is still being drawn up by the attorney general. Under the plans, nursing home residents, both public and private, will pay up to 80% of their disposable income towards the cost of their bed when they are alive, and up to 15% of the value of their homes after they die.