THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has insisted there is no “freeze” in home help hours, following claims that the health board had effectively suspended the allocation to new applicants until November.
Deputy Seán Crowe (SF) said the Government must intervene after claims that restrictions are being put on the number of new entrants to the home help scheme and on the allocation of extra hours for current service users.
Deputy Crowe said a freeze makes no budgetary sense as it costs €5,964 per week to care for someone in an acute hospital bed, while it costs just €160 per week with a home help support package.
“In recent weeks we have learned that the HSE has effectively suspended the allocation of home help to new applicants until November,” he said.
“This freeze is going to have a major impact on older citizens in need of care, on their families, on people with a disability, and on their carers.
“It will also put huge pressure on hospitals because of delayed discharges and it will force older people into nursing homes.
“All of this is happening because the HSE says there is a need to balance their budget for 2019,” Deputy Crowe addd.
“The real measure of performance here is that there are over 6,000 people on waiting lists and there are countless others who effectively have had their home hours cuts.
“Without enough home help hours patients are forced to remain in hospitals at a huge cost, or else their families are forced to pay huge sums for private for home care supports.
“The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, this week bizarrely claimed that home care does not reduce bed numbers. This is contradicting the HSE’s own 2018 Capacity Review.
However, a spokesperson for the HSE denied that there was a “freeze” in home help hours.
“The HSE’s Home Support Service aims to support older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and to support informal carers,” the spokesperson said.
“In 2019 the HSE is expected to provide 17.9m home support hours to 53,000 people with Intensive Home Care Packages delivered to approximately 235 people (approximately 360,000 hours delivered in the full year).
“Despite the significant level of service provision, the demand for Home Support continues to grow. The main reason for increased demand relates to the increase in demographics of older people.
“Nationally, at the end of April 2019, the number of people waiting for funding for Home Support was 6,310.
“The majority of those awaiting funding are in their own home. Many are already in receipt of home support but are awaiting funding for additional support.
“All those waiting for Home Support are assessed and provided with a new or additional service as soon as possible.”