HSE cuts will hurt the sickest and most dependent of older people’
Age Action has expressed its concern about the impact which the cuts outlined in the HSE’s Service Plan for 2012 will have on the sickest and most dependent of older people.
The older people’s charity noted that the HSE plans to close between 555 and 898 public nursing home beds over the coming 12 months, and reduce the number of home help hours it provides by 500,000, compared to 2011.
“The loss of so many public beds and the scale of the cuts in the home help service provided by the HSE will undoubtedly be felt by the sickest of older people,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins warned. “Without home help service frail older people will struggle, and those requiring round the clock nursing home care will end up being admitted to acute hospitals for their care if a nursing home bed is not available.”
Age Action said the planned closure of up to 898 public beds in such a short period raisesd the legitimate question as to what the Government’s long term commitment was to providing public nursing home beds. “The Government needs to clearly set out how it plans to protect the most dependent of older people, and what the minimum number of public nursing home beds is in order to deliver this service,” Mr Timmins said.
The older people’s charity noted that there will always be a number of older people whose complex nursing home needs may not be met be met by the private nursing home sector, and who will need a public nursing home bed. Additional funding for the Nursing Home Support Scheme will enable an extra 1,270 people to enter the scheme during 2012.
Age Action welcomed the fact that the HSE plans to maintain the provision of Home Care packages at last year’s level. Other positive elements of the HSE Service Plan included additional investment in primary care services, the enhancement of community mental health teams, plans to progress the Single Assessment Tool to determine patient / client need, and ensure equitable access to services based on this need
