Nearly 5,000 elderly people left without a carer due to staffing crisis

Skilled nursing facilities are staffed by registered nurses and they have the ability to provide proper health care to seniors with serious health conditions. Picture: istock

Nearly 5,000 elderly people are without a carer to assist them in their own homes because of a chronic staff shortage in the sector.

The staffing crisis has seen the waiting list for a carer jump from 1,375 people at the start of the pandemic to 4,787 now, the HSE said.