Impossible deadline for nursing home residents

THE Government says the fair deal scheme for nursing home residents will be introduced on January 1 next.

A number of my clients are resident in nursing homes and there appears to be an incredible lack of information on how this scheme is going to operate.

I called my local HSE office only to be referred to the Department of Health and Children. I called the department to be told the scheme would be coming into force on January 1. On further enquiry, the department told me that, as yet, there was no legislation for the scheme in place.

Hence, it would appear the Government is going to bring in legislation for the scheme, negotiate fees with the 500 nursing homes and set up a register of eligible nursing homes all in the five weeks before January 1.

If I told this to my clients they would laugh at me. In the meantime older, vulnerable people in nursing homes and their families will have to wait to find out when the Government is going to pay for their nursing home care.

Dr Jonathon Roth

‘Castlecourt’

Clancys Strand

Limerick