Nursing home scandal - Elderly being demeaned by State

IF the measure of a civilised society is how it cares for its senior citizens, then Ireland comes very badly out of an assessment based on that revealing yardstick.

In yet another shameful example of the State’s cold-hearted attitude towards elderly people, we learn today that a health board which was told three years ago it should not be charging elderly patients in nursing homes for incontinence wear has persisted in doing so.

Besides demeaning the patients, the practice pursued by the Southern Health Board represents a mean-spirited charge which is costing pensioners around €2 million a year.