Elderly ‘marooned’ in hospitals due to absence of step-down facilities

Hundreds of elderly people risk being “marooned” in public hospitals this Easter due to a long-term lack of step-down facilities which costs the State over half a million euro nightly.

The claim was made by a home help group which warned that the situation was needlessly adding to the country’s deepening health debts and causing damage to lives.

According to Home and Community Care Ireland, 635 people will be “stuck in hospital” during the holiday period despite the fact they have been medically cleared to leave.