Up to 900 public nursing home beds could be lost

AS many as 900 public nursing home beds could be removed from the system within months in an attempt to cut health service costs — nearly double the initially reported figure of 555.

An appendix note on page 47 of the HSE’s 2012 national service plan, which acts as its de facto budget for the year, has confirmed that the rate of bed closures may be as high as 898. This is despite official statements that “a minimum” of 555 beds would be closed.

The cuts, which mean a “small number” of public nursing homes will close completely, have been described by Health Minister James Reilly as part of plans to offer older people the chance of “holistic” home help packages instead of residential care.

This would be a cheaper option for the state.

However, the plan is also the result of significant staff retirement rates planned for next month and attempts to reduce agency worker costs by 50%, which will impact on the care levels provided in nursing homes.

The inability of certain facilities to meet infrastructure standards outlined by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) last year is also a contributory factor.

The Irish Examiner understands that, even if the closures are capped at 555, facilities in all parts of the country will be affected.

HSE chief executive Cathal Magee confirmed to this newspaper that the cuts would include a minimum of 180 public nursing home bed closures in the HSE South, 159 in the HSE West, 111 in HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster, and 105 in HSE Dublin North East.

However, further details of what the cutbacks mean to each HSE region will not be revealed until smaller, location-specific service plans are published later this month.

Reacting to the nursing home beds reductions and a planned 500,000 reduction in home help hours, Age Action Ireland spokesman Eamon Timmins said he had serious concerns over how the move would impact on “the sickest and most dependent of older people”.

“The loss of so many public beds and the scale of the cuts in the home help service provided by the HSE will undoubtedly be felt by the sickest of older people.

“Without home help service, frail older people will struggle, and those requiring round-the-clock nursing home care will end up being admitted to acute hospitals for their care if a nursing home bed is not available,” he said.

The Older and Bolder advocacy group said “serious questions” needed to be answered over what exactly the nursing home issue would entail.

Nursing Homes Ireland chief executive Tadhg Daly said positives should be taken from the fact an additional 1,270 long-term residential care places are funded for as part of this year’s Fair Deal scheme.

However, the HSE has acknowledged that, despite the scheme having a budget of over €1 billion, there are concerns it may run out of funds before the end of the year.