Nursing homes: Rules will hike fees

PRIVATE nursing homes have claimed that a series of vital national standards for the sector will force them to pass on up to e3.6 million in extra costs to private residents.

Yesterday Health Minister Mary Harney launched 32 long-awaited nursing home standards to ensure the safety of elderly residents and described it as a “landmark” day for the sector in Ireland.

Among the list of standards, to become a legal target for all 608 facilities across the country on July 1 and required by 2015, are the first ever inspections of public nursing homes, individual written contracts providing specific details on care and conditions, and further legal steps to ensure a repeat of the Leas Cross scandal does not occur.