Systems to provide long-term care for the elderly are largely chaotic, with many people confused about their rights and entitlements and subject to years of stress and crippling expense, Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly said today.
Although the newly-introduced “Fair Deal” Nursing Homes Support Scheme would improve things for many people, what effectively happened was the State now believed it had no further responsibility in this area.
Speaking to the MacGill Summer School Ms O’Reilly said she would shortly publish an investigation into the operation of this sector over the last number of years by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive.
“It will tell of a largely chaotic ad hoc system, in which many people were not alone confused about their rights and entitlements but also suffered years of stress and crippling expense because of the deliberate failure of the system to clarify their rights to public care let alone provide for them.”
She added: “I am aware that the new system – the so-called Fair Deal system, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme – will make things a lot clearer and a lot better for very many people, but as my investigation will point out, what has effectively happened through the new legislation, is that the State believes it has now divested itself of the responsibility to provide nursing home care.”
She said while Irish people had fancied themselves as possessing “a great community sense” the fault-lines in the health and social services reflected the lack of a shared approach to the State’s responsibility to vulnerable groups.