pensioner
ELDERLY people will pay “substantially” higher charges in public nursing homes from the end of the month.

This is because the Government is going to charge more for care in public HSE-run nursing homes.

But, under the long-awaited Fair Deal scheme, most of the payment can be deferred until after a patient dies when the money comes out of their estate.

From October 27, patients going into a nursing home for the first time will be assessed to see how much care they need and what family and social support they have. Then will then be assessed financially.



Their income and assets, including pensions, property, stocks and shares will be taken into account. This means that those with large farms, or any substantial property, will end up paying significantly more than they do now because up to 15pc of its value can be taken by the State after their death. At the moment such patients only pay a percentage of their pension.

Income

Patients using the new scheme will pay 80pc of any income — like a pension — to the State during their time in the nursing home.

After their death the State will take a payment of no more than 5pc of the total value of their estate each year for three years — effectively capping the contribution at 15pc.

Existing public nursing home patients are not affected.

Health Minister Mary Harney said the scheme would help alleviate the huge financial burden faced by private nursing home residents and their families during their lifetime.

However, the new scheme, which was welcomed by groups representing older people, will mean people who enter public HSE-run nursing homes from that date will face higher charges.

The maximum weekly charge for a bed in a public nursing home is €153.25, but Department of Health officials said this will be substantially higher under the new scheme.

Currently residents in a public State-run nursing home pay the majority of the old age pension per week for their care but they must be able to retain €44.70. This is despite the fact they have considerable assets which remain untouched.

In contrast somebody in a private nursing home could be paying around €1,000 a week.

The officials said the higher charge will not affect existing public nursing home residents and the fees would be made public in a week or two.

Private nursing homes will be paid a fee by the State for each resident availing of the Fair Deal scheme — these prices have also yet to be released.

Ms Harney said nobody would end up paying more than the cost of their care and there were safeguards in place to ensure that other dependent relatives living in the home after a resident dies will not be forced to sell up.

The Government has set aside €55m for the scheme this year and around 9,000 new people are expected to be applying every year.

Because the money for the scheme will be capped this could mean that if it is used up at a certain stage in the year outstanding applicants will have to go on a waiting list.

The minister said the cost of long-term nursing home care will cost €1bn next year.

The way is open from this week for care representatives — who act for people who are incapacitated such as those with dementia — to apply to the Circuit Court to act on their behalf.

- Eilish O’Regan, Health Correspondent

Irish Independent