Madam, - As we know from the subsequent reimbursement of very significant sums of money taken from older Irish people and their families, the Supreme Court in February 2005 established that those older people who required nursing home care are entitled to a publicly funded nursing home bed, on the basis of a payment equivalent to 80 per cent of the non-contributory pension. This may be in a public nursing-home bed, or a HSE-funded bed in a private nursing home.
It is therefore very unfortunate that older people and their families would appear, in effect, to be blamed by the HSE for wishing to exercise their entitlement to this care (HEALTHplus, November 18th). The final critical illness or event which tips frail, older people from surviving in the community with support to requiring nursing home care is often mediated through a hospital stay. This is a difficult and critical time for older people and their families, and if they are not informed appropriately of their entitlements, they may unwittingly enter on a heart-breaking and financially unsustainable commitment, either through self-funding or an inadequate subvention scheme. I am aware of a significant number of such cases, sometimes where people have entered into these arrangements from the community without full advice, even when the older person clearly fulfilled the criteria of need.
Pending proposed changes (the so-called "Fair Deal") which will substantially alter the current entitlement, it would be helpful if the HSE would confirm that it accepts, and conforms with, the Supreme Court ruling of 2005, and provide clear and unambiguous guidance to this effect.
It would also be helpful if it desisted from portraying those vulnerable people and their families who wish to exercise this entitlement - or indeed the health and social care professionals who provide comprehensive information to this group - as a problem. - Yours, etc,