Nursing services: An alternative service to nursing homes for older people has been introduced to Ireland.
Home Instead Senior Care (HISC), an international provider of home care services for older people, has launched in the Republic and Northern Ireland and within four years expects to meet the care needs of 5000 older people and potentially create thousands of jobs for trained Irish care workers.
With limited home nursing services available for the elderly in Ireland and no support system or insurance provided through the agencies that refer carers and nurses, Mr Ed Murphy co-owner of HISC says the service would greatly relieve the strain on Irish nursing homes.
HISC trains, tests and continuously monitors carers' work as well as handling all insurance coverage, payroll, PRSI and tax obligations, he said. The HISC is a US franchise that opened its first Irish office in Leopardstown, Co Dublin on June 1st. Murphy and Michael Kearney own the rights to the HISC franchise in the Republic and Northern Ireland and anticipate expansion to 25 offices throughout the country.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that people are happier living in their own homes," said Murphy. Currently recruiting and training people in Ireland to study to become qualified carers, the HISC provides a 14-month training programme for employees. Following one month's training that includes studying textbooks developed by HISC in the US and examinations, carers may complete the training while working. Those seeking employment with HISC are subject to thorough criminal background checks and must provide three personal and three professional references. The average age of a HISC carer in other countries is 50 and Murphy said that so far this trend has continued in Ireland.
Gerard Scully of Age Action Ireland said there is a "real need" for trained home carers in Ireland and they welcome any organisation that provides trained professionals.
HISC carers help older people with daily tasks like housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, and assistance with dress as well as more skilled services like understanding depression and early dementia and Alzheimer care. "Research shows that older people who remain at home live longer, happier lives," said Murphy. "It's about helping people live independently in their own homes," he stressed.
A 2005 University of Limerick study stated that nursing home residents do not perform as well as older people living in the community in basic abilities such as vision, hearing, memory, attention and dexterity. The report underlined the need for the State to provide a wider variety of facilities for older people who don't need full time nursing home care.
The Minister for Health Mary Harney has met with Ed Murphy and Michael Kearney, and said she welcomes the introduction of the franchise to Ireland. Murphy has also met with representatives of the Health Service Executive who themselves plan to implement home care packages.
Responding to the introduction of Home Instead to Ireland Minister of State for Health, Sean Power, said: "Any service which assists people to live in dignity and independence in their own home is to be welcomed".
The majority of people in nursing homes do not need full-time care and could avail of the flexible care the HISC offers, ranging from 24-hour a day attention to a few hours a week, said Murphy. In the US, the average HISC client receives 15 hours of home care per week.
In Ireland, the hourly rate for clients ranges from €17.50 to €19.50 and Murphy said a significant proportion of older people in Ireland availing of HISC will require 15 hours home care per week (three hours a day, five days a week) and this will cost approximately €290. Compared with nursing home charges, which cost in the vicinity of €1000 per week, older people could make significant savings, he said.
HISC trained managers carry out regular checks the older person's satisfaction with their carer and the service. Each client has a logbook and the carer documents the duties they perform, which is regularly checked by the HISC manager and the older person's family.
The introduction of HISC will help free up space in medical-based facilities for those who really need that level of service, said Murphy.
As the HISC are providing training and jobs for a significant number of Irish people who are over 50, Murphy said they are bringing back into the tax net people who otherwise may never have worked again.