Private nursing homes try to help hospitals

IN your report headlined ‘Nursing homes plan to aid city’s hospital bed shortages’ (Irish Examiner, February 10), it was stated that many elderly people who require long-term care have difficulty finding suitable nursing homes.

As the owner of a private nursing home I had a number of bed spaces available last year and I know of other nursing homes in a similar situation.

HSE officials, who visit each nursing home at least twice a year, could give a detailed breakdown of all bed vacancies in private nursing homes last year.