The cost of nursing-home care has gone beyond the reach of many older people, the National Association of Widows in Ireland said yesterday. In a pre-Budget submission, the association called on the Minister for Health to introduce a system of price control.
The association also said it condemned the practice of mixed wards in hospitals, both in the medical and surgical section. Having males and females in the same ward lowered the dignity of the patient, particularly the elderly at such a sensitive time, the association claimed.