DELAYS in the Fair Deal
nursing home scheme is costing Donegal families up
to €1,000 a week, a local TD has revealed.
Deputy Charlie McConalogue said older people in the
county were being forced to wait up to four months
for nursing home care.
He claimed this was because of HSE delays in
releasing funding under the scheme.
“The deteriorating situation with Fair Deal waiting
lists is completely unacceptable. Older people and
their families are being subjected to increased
financial pressure with the cost of nursing home
fees running into tens of thousands of euro over a
four month period.
"Fair Deal was designed to ease the financial strain
on older people who need long term care, however
they are now being penalised because of
inefficiencies in the HSE," he said.
Under the Fair Deal scheme, a person makes a
contribution towards the cost of their care and the
State pays the balance. The scheme covers approved
private nursing homes, voluntary nursing homes and
public nursing homes.
The Inishowen T.D., said more than 2,000 older
people are waiting for a place on the scheme
nationally.
He said the delays had been "exacerbated by the
HSE’s decision to divert €23m of Fair Deal funding
to community and home-based care packages".
"This decision has resulted in a massive backlog of
people in Donegal waiting for a place on the Fair
Deal scheme, while being forced to pay fees they can
ill afford," he added.
He urged Health Minister Leo Varadkar to ensure that
the 2015 health budget is workable "and not a back
of the envelope calculation". |
