Unfit Fair Deal causing nursing homes to close -Harkin
“We are facing a real crisis in the nursing home sector, already this year 16 private nursing homes have closed, and 450 beds are gone,” TD Marian Harkin told the Taoiseach in the Dáil, “unfortunately too many owners are at their wits end reassessing their current financial position,” she said.
Ms Harkin said that while energy costs and the cost of living are a factor in the nursing home crisis the underlying cause is the fact that the Fair Deal funding model is not fit for purpose. “This is not something we're just discovering now. It has been flagged time and time again in many different reports, namely, two from HIQUA, one from the Comptroller and Auditor General, one from the Department of Health and the Ombudsman.
“The Fair Deal model is structured so that private nursing homes receive in the region of €600 less per person per week than public nursing homes, and that's an incredible difference,” the Deputy said. “In January 2022 the average fee payable under Fair Deal for HSE nursing homes was €1,674 per person per week, while for private and voluntary nursing homes it was €1,047 per person per week.
“I know when I raised this with the Tanaiste he suggested that public nursing homes often deal with people who have more complex care needs. While this may have some validity in certain cases it cannot explain the huge difference in payments between private and public nursing homes. There needs to be an urgent review of the pricing model before more of these small nursing homes close.
“The most recent HIQUA report suggests that the closure of small nursing homes represents the loss of a particular model of care and not just bed numbers,” she said,
“Their closure sometimes means that older people in need of residential care have to travel further in order to receive it. This has a knock-on effect for residents, particularly in terms of being accessible for visitors, social activities and links to their preferred GP or pharmacy.
Ms Harkin said it is important to remember that nursing homes are a vital link in our health services at all times, particularly now when the acute healthcare system is already under such pressure. “It makes no sense that we are allowing nursing homes to close when our acute hospitals have ever-lengthening waiting lists and people waiting on trolleys,”
Deputy Harkin reminded the Taoiseach that he has the power to stop the closure of private nursing homes, almost overnight. “Put in place a sustainable Fair Deal funding model because nursing homes are a vital link in the healthcare chain and that chain is at breaking point.”