Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 February 2005

Nursing Home Charges: Statements.

 

4:00 pm

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Fine Gael)

Joking aside, there is an issue regarding the symbolic nature of handing over moneys in the form of a pension, assistance or an entitlement to a private or public body. Leaving the Minister of State's spouse or family to one side, I believe it is wrong and there is a serious equality issue to be addressed.

As regards access and funding there is need for a comprehensive debate on private and public nursing homes. On the east coast there are many elderly people in high income brackets who are holding out to get into public community nursing homes. They are holding out, in certain instances, because they do not want to go into private nursing homes. If one is paying €800 a week to a private nursing home and, let us say, the subvention is €680, down the line the cost of care may increase but the subvention may stay the same. There are problems and concerns in that regard.

There should be equal assessment between community homes and private homes. One is not financially assessed in a public nursing home whereas one is assessed in a private home. Anomalies exist between the treatment of public and private nursing home patients, which must also be addressed.

As regards transparency, we have an ever-expanding elderly population base and they have to be taken care of. We must look at different avenues for treating them on an equal basis and for moving forward on the equality issue. Before Christmas I raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, an issue regarding the 21 day rule for patients in private nursing homes. Senator Leyden will be aware of this as he was present. If an elderly person breaks a leg and has to convalesce in a community nursing home, the person will have to pay after 21 days. That is a discrimination issue, because someone in a public hospital may stay longer than 21 days but will not have to pay.

The debate on how nursing homes have been developed has not been addressed and we need to look at this. In the past, we had public and private nursing homes. Private nursing homes were successful due to the fact that they were family led. I am aware of many private nursing homes across Ireland which have been family led. They have been a success story.

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