Madam, – I refer to Eithne Donnellan’s article (Home News, August 19th) regarding the HSE inspection of a private nursing home.
It is unfortunate that there are nursing homes in our health system that do not recognise the need to provide relevant activities for older people despite their medical condition. It is regarded as good practice in care of the older person to have an activities care plan for each resident in a long stay residential setting.
Unfortunately, under the new Fair Deal scheme for nursing homes, being introduced by the Government this year, relevant resident activities will become a thing of the past. The legislation provides that the State will pay only for “bed and board” in their definition of long-term residential care services. Indeed, Fair Deal nursing home charges will not cover “basic items” such as incontinence wear, physiotherapy and specialised wheelchairs.
I would advise older people to think carefully about joining the Fair Deal nursing home scheme as the services they may receive in the future in nursing homes may not be commensurate with 15 per cent of the value of their private residence that they will eventually pay the State after their death. – Yours, etc,