Elderly 'paying €80 a week for care'

More than 1,200 vulnerable elderly people are paying up to €80 per week for care in nursing homes across the country, it was claimed tonight.

The Federation of Irish Nursing Homes said it was unclear how the pensioners would meet the extra cost of care after many had forfeited their pensions under the contract beds scheme.

The group added pensioners were also missing out on increases in benefits paid over the last two years, which were not being applied to the cost of care.

Elderly people needing care gave up their pensions to get a bed in a nursing home as part of the contract.

Pat Durcan, federation chairman, said health boards in the Eastern Regional Health Authority were in breach of commitments to review fee levels for pensioners each year.

Mr Durcan said: “This new and alarming development is at variance with the commitment given by the health boards when the patients were placed in contract beds.

“A commitment was then given to patients, their families and the nursing homes that fee levels would be reviewed each year.”

Health boards granted increases of 4% to 6% to a small number of nursing homes in the early part of 2003, but the majority missed out.

From January 2004 health boards allowed for an increase in fees of 2.5% for the year, while their own nursing units had annual costs rising by 8 to 9%.

Mr Durcan added that nursing homes were in a difficult position having to provide high levels of care that the elderly needed.

He said: “This vulnerable group of people are continually becoming more dependent but regrettably are having their care underfunded.

“It was never envisaged health boards would exploit this vulnerable group by effectively freezing the costs of their services, while salaries in the health boards are increased at levels that far outstrip inflation.”