Nursing Homes Ireland Calling for Immediate Government Intervention to Ensure Sustainability of Nursing Home Care
Sunday August 25, 2024Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has presented its Pre-Budget Submission for 2025, emphasising the urgent need for government intervention to ensure the sustainability of nursing home care. The submission outlines critical areas where immediate support is needed to address the financial and operational challenges facing nursing home care.
Read the submission here.
On Tuesday, August 20th, during Nursing Homes Week, NHI met with Minister Mary Butler to discuss these pressing issues. The meeting highlighted the critical need for government intervention and provided an opportunity to emphasise the urgency of the proposed measures.
Key proposed measures include:
- All State Sponsored Proposed Cost Increases to Undergo a Full Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)
- NHI requires that all proposed state sponsored inflation measures undergo a full RIA. This should be fully costed and provided for in Nursing Homes Support Scheme Budget.
- Immediate Stabilisation Fund
- To sustain local nursing home services and to stabilise the sector in the coming years, private and voluntary nursing homes require an immediate “Stabilisation Fund” of €265 million.
- Provide Equal Access to Services for all Nursing Home Residents
- NHI requires that the Government deliver equal access to primary care services, aids & appliances for all older people regardless of whether they are living at home or in a public, private, or voluntary nursing home.
- Recognise the Role of HCA
- NHI requires that the role of the Healthcare Assistant be recognised as a professional occupation, alongside nursing homes being properly resourced through the Fair Deal scheme to enable them to appropriately remunerate such care staff
Nursing home care is at a pivotal point. Over the past five years, operational costs have surged by 36%, while revenue has only grown by 17%, creating a significant funding gap. This financial strain has already led to the closure of over 70 nursing homes, resulting in the loss of over 1,800 beds and displacing many residents from their local communities.
This trend underscores the urgent need for a robust financial strategy to prevent further closures and ensure stability within the sector. Immediate and decisive action is required to safeguard nursing home care and the well-being of current and future residents, ensuring they can remain within their communities.
Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, said:
“Nursing home residents are at a point in their lives where they should be able to celebrate growing old in the peace of knowing they have a home, a community that cares for them and will not be closed due to financial difficulties.”
Without increased funding and a recognition of these rising costs, the viability of nursing home care is at severe risk, threatening the well-being of residents, their families, and the broader healthcare system”
“The Government must take immediate action to ensure the sustainability of nursing home care”.
NHI’s pre-budget submission emphasises the essential role nursing homes play in Ireland’s healthcare system. With an over-65 population that has grown by 35% over the past decade and is expected to nearly double in the next 20 years, the need for sustainable nursing home care is more critical than ever.
NHI remains committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to develop solutions that ensure the continued provision of high-quality care for Ireland’s elderly population.
By addressing the current financial challenges and implementing supportive policies, NHI believes that nursing homes can continue to provide a home from home for thousands of older persons across the country.