Elderly ‘die’ waiting for care home cash

Older people have died while waiting for financial support under the Nursing Home Support Scheme, a study claims.

A survey of private and voluntary nursing homes by Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) found that the delays were causing a deterioration in older people’s health.

The survey of 122 private and voluntary nursing homes, conducted earlier this month, involved the extraction of information on typical waiting times for Fair Deal applications. NHI said it showed there was a crisis in older person care that must be a priority for the Minister for Health. There were 96 homes that were collectively aware of 364 successful applicants awaiting financial support — about four persons for each facility. Over half of the nursing homes (51.6%) said waiting time exceeded 10 weeks and almost half (48.1%) said waiting time was 12 weeks or more.

One home in Leinster said it was aware of 29 successful Fair Deal applicants awaiting financial support.

A nursing home in the south said up to 20 persons were awaiting funding, while other nursing homes were aware of between seven and nine persons. The delays, according to the survey participants, is leading to extended, unnecessary hospital stays — some people had died waiting for financial support.

A nursing home in the west is aware of a family of a 92-year-old that had Fair Deal approval but opted to avail of the HSE’s home help scheme so the person could remain at home.

A year later, when the person needed to be in a nursing home, the family were told to make a fresh application for Fair Deal financial support.

The family now feels penalised for opting to provide care at home for a full year.

NHI chief executive, Tadhg Daly said their fears over the Budget 2014 cut in Fair Deal funding were being realised.