The elderly get left out in the dark again
The private nursing home subvention scheme was introduced in 1993 when the maximum subvention equated to approximately 65% of fees payable. The level of subvention has only been increased once in the past 12 years, and the maximum subvention now payable amounts to €190 per week, which equates to approximately 30% of the cost of long-term care in a private nursing home.
A person with a pension of more than €190.42 per week does not qualify for subvention and therefore only has the option of a public facility. This contradicts the policy of the Department of Health in its promotion of a more equitable system offering choice to the customer and also compounds the public bed problem, ie, delayed discharge/bed blocking.
One can only conclude that the refusal of the department to increase the private nursing home subvention payment is that existing elderly residents in these homes are being asked to pay for the public nursing home charges liability of the Government.
The elderly section of society gets it in the neck again from Government.
Tony Shaw
34 Wilfield
Sandymount Ave
Dublin 4
