Nursing home deal excludes basics like incontinence wear

THE imminent Fair Deal nursing home funding charges will not cover “basic” items like incontinence wear, physiotherapy, and specialised wheelchairs, it has emerged.

Under the Government funding initiative, to be implemented in September, nursing home residents will be asked to contribute 80% of their disposable income and 5% of their non-cash assets to pay for the cost of their bed.

The scheme has also called for a further 15% of the value of a resident’s home to be contributed to the cost of care after their death.

The initiative was called for by Health Minister Mary Harney in 2006 in an attempt to help improve funding levels in nursing homes across the country and to guarantee the access of residents to care.

However, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) said items vital to day-to-day care will not be covered by the plan.

“For the avoidance of doubt, long-term residential care services shall not include: inter-alia daily delivery of newspapers; social programmes; all therapies; incontinence wear; chiropody; dry cleaning; ophthalmic and dental services; transport including care assistant costs; and specialised wheelchairs,” the correspondence read.

It added the new charges will be confined to bed and board, nursing, laundry services, and “personal care appropriate to the care needs of the person”.

Age Action Ireland spokesman Eamon Timmins said the charges should be used to provide the necessary care to all nursing home residents.

“It is becoming clear that the NTPF believes things which ordinary people would regard as being essential for a dignified existence, such as incontinence pads, are not included in the price. Older people will be expected to pay for these from the 20% of their disposable income they are left with after paying the Fair Deal price,” warned Mr Timmins.

He added the group will contact Ms Harney to “immediately intervene”.