Hundreds of people under 65 forced to live in nursing homes due to lack of supports

A new report from Ombudsman Peter Tyndall, investigated several complaints about the placement of young people, under the age of 65, in nursing homes, often against their will. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Hundreds of young and middle-aged people with a disability are being forced to live in nursing homes for older people because of a lack of state supports to enable them to live independently.

That is according to a new report by Ombudsman Peter Tyndall, who investigated several complaints about the placement of young people, under the age of 65, in nursing homes, often against their will.

More than 1,300 people under 65 live in nursing homes across the country, although the figure may be an underestimate of the scale of the inappropriate placements.

As part of the investigation, 28 people, from 36 years  upwards, shared their experiences of living in a nursing home, including a lack of support, finances, and choice about how they live their lives.

Many were placed in nursing homes following ill health or an accident and believed their placement would be temporary rather than for years.

Some told the ombudsman they had not given informed consent to stay in a nursing home on a long-term basis.

One 58-year-old man, Mark, has been living in a nursing home for nine years after suffering a stroke a decade ago but remains unhappy and has repeatedly expressed a desire to live independently.

As a musician, Mark toured with international artists prior to his stroke and told the ombudsman there were no activities for younger people in the nursing home and he had no choice over when he eats or other daily routines.

Despite securing a house in recent years with the help of a local charity, he can only live there one day per week due to a lack of personal assistance hours and is now at risk of losing the house.

In another case, Francis, a 60-year-old man, who has been living in a nursing home for nine years, has been unable to access supports to live at home and told the ombudsman he was frustrated, disheartened, and bored.

He was placed in a nursing home after suffering a brain injury from a fall from a ladder at his home. His circumstances have impacted his mental health and his advocate recounted one occasion where a family member found Francis sitting in a circle of residents with them sleeping and him crying.

His house has since been made wheelchair accessible but the HSE said a full-time carer would be required to facilitate a move home. An application for home support was made but refused.

In other cases, the ombudsman heard how many younger people living in nursing homes faced additional costs for services or escorts to help them attend appointments or activities outside the facility.

In one case, 52-year-old Rose, who was admitted to a nursing home following a brain injury, told the ombudsman that she could not afford to attend hospital when she was in pain, as this would require an escort at a cost of €23 per hour in addition to paying for transport. 

She said she was left with very little money and that her family had to buy necessities like clothing.

The ombudsman dedicated the Wasted Lives report to the memory of four people who participated in the investigation and died during the pandemic.