Nursing Homes Ireland | 2051 Castle Drive, Citywest, Dublin 24, D24 K299

‘As a society, we must celebrate people living longer and plan for the increasing care needs of our older people.’

@NursingHomesIre www.nhi.ieinfo@nhi.ie(01) 4699 800

Supporting care needs of nursing home residents

1 Immediate publication of the Review of System for setting nursing home prices under the Nursing Home Support Scheme.

2 Removal of healthcare assistant role from the Ineligible Categories of Employment for Employment Permits List on a controlled basis.

3 New and revised GP contract must recognise and resource GPs to meet regulatory requirements, obligations and the duties of GPs to meet the GP care needs of nursing home residents. Contract should be expedited.

Bring representations to relevant Ministers

Advance our requirements at parliamentary party meeting

Highlight the issues in Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann

Engage with your local nursing homes and NHI to address the issues

Highlight through Order of Business, Taoiseach’s questions, parliamentary questions, motions, adjournment debates

How can you help?Requirements

Local Nursing Homes

Local Nursing Homes » are specialist, high quality, home-

from-home healthcare settings within your community

» provide 24/7 clinical care support and high dependency specialised care

» employ diverse teams of high-skilled and committed specialists, including nurses and carers, to meet residents’ clinical and healthcare needs

» meet residents day-to-day living and social care requirements, encompassing their dietary needs, therapies and activities to promote physical and cognitive wellbeing

» deliver diverse employment and fulfil a critical role in supporting local service providers in your constituency

» are consistently facilitating the discharge of hundreds of patients from acute hospitals back into their own community

» ensure older people with high dependency care needs enjoy company, friendship, laughter, warmth, engaging activities and peace of mind.

Supporting care needs of nursing home residentsRequirements

Immediate publication of the Review of System for setting nursing home prices under the Nursing Home Support Scheme

A fit-for-purpose funding model is critical to meet the high-dependency, specialist care needs of people requiring nursing home care. The Pricing Review was scheduled for completion 1st June 2017 and remains outstanding. It emanated from the review of the Fair Deal scheme that was published in 2015. The funding model has remained unchanged since its introduction 10 years ago, despite independent analyses informing it is not fit for purpose. The Pricing Review must address inherent discrimination within Fair Deal and bring into effect a funding model commensurate with the care needs of nursing home residents.

Removal of healthcare assistant role from the Ineligible Categories of Employment for Employment Permits List on a controlled basis

A severe crisis is presenting in the recruitment of healthcare assistants across our health and social care services. NHI analysis presents 1,300 roles require filling within our sector. The shortage is also resulting in HSE incapacity to provide homecare services. If the acute shortage persists, it will lead to widespread closure of beds within our sector and a crisis across our health and social care services. It is essential for the provision of nursing home care and wider

care of the older person that the role is removed from the ineligible categories of employment permits list.

New and revised GP contract must recognise and resource GPs to meet regulatory requirements, obligations and the duties of GPs to meet the GP care needs of nursing home residents. Contract should be expedited.

“There is a disparity in the level and frequency of medical cover being provided by GPs to GMS patients in nursing homes…the current arrangements are no longer adequate to meeting the needs of patients or nursing homes,” Minister for Health Simon Harris, February 20181.

The current GMS contract is not fit-for-purpose and GPs appear to be overstretched and under-resourced. It is presenting a crisis in primary care, with access to GP services for nursing home residents constrained. A new GMS contract which includes specific reference to nursing home residents is required to be expedited as soon as possible. The new contract must stipulate requirements for the provision of GP care for nursing home residents in compliance with Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013. It is essential the new contract ensures our nursing home residents retain ongoing access to GP care.

1 Response to a parliamentary question on 7th February 2018.

12

700 840

Cavan Monaghan13

757 908

LongfordWestmeath12

536 643

Donegal7

402 482

SligoLeitrim

17

757 908

Mayo

18

785 942

GalwayEast

16

769 923

GalwayWest

11

657 789

Clare

17

740 888

Kerry

6

385 462

Cork SouthWest

10

478 574

Cork NorthWest

6

288 346

Cork NorthCentral

6

268 322

LimerickCity

18

868 1042

Limerick

14

682 818

RoscommonGalway

10

589 707

Cork SouthCentral

16

947 1136

Cork East 26

967 1160

Tipperary

5

269 323

Laois

7

413 496

Offaly

11

635 762

Louth

5

289 347

Meath West

10

571 685

Meath East

14

820 984

Wexford

8

431 517

Waterford

7

362 434

KildareSouth

19

934 1120

CarlowKilkenny

21

982 1178

Wicklow

13

1082 1298

Kildare North

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Constituency Breakdown

Supporting care needs of nursing home residents

Dublin Constituencies

1 Dublin Bay North 7 582 699

2 Dublin Bay South 14 745 894

3 Dublin Central 3 115 138

4 Dublin Fingal 13 974 1169

5 Dublin Mid West 6 362 435

6 Dublin North West 14 1251 1501

7 Dublin Rathdown 7 435 522

8 Dublin South Central 3 183 220

9 Dublin South West 4 342 410

10 Dublin West 6 303 364

11 Dún Laoghaire 14 1025 1230Feb

ruar

y 20

19

Nursing Homes

Number of Beds

Number Employed

NUMBER OF