Written answers

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Department of Health

Nursing Homes Support Scheme

Photo of Imelda MunsterImelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that residents of private nursing homes who continue to hold full general medical services cards do not in practice have the same eligibility as other persons who live in the community in matters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3499/19]

Photo of Jim DalyJim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost.

The NHSS covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:

- Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person;

- Bed and board;

- Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living; and

- Laundry service.

A person's eligibility for other schemes, such as the medical card scheme or the drugs payment scheme, is unaffected by participation in the NHSS or residence in a nursing home.  In determining the services covered by the NHSS it was considered very important that the care recipient and the taxpayer would be protected and would not end up paying for the same services twice. For this reason, medications and aids that are already prescribed for individuals under an existing scheme are not included in the services covered by the NHSS, as this would involve effectively paying twice for the same service.

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