Moving to a nursing home
As people get older, the issue of care becomes important. While many elderly people can remain in their own homes, for others this is not an option and they may have to move from their homes into long-term care.
How do you choose a nursing home?
All nursing homes in Ireland – public, voluntary and private – are registered and inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).
HIQA has a checklist for choosing a nursing home, whether it be public, voluntary or private. They also have a tool to help you locate a nursing home in your area. Nursing Homes Ireland also has some information on choosing the right nursing home and some useful contacts and resources.
Public nursing homes are run by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Voluntary homes include those run by charities or religious orders. Private nursing homes are run by commercial businesses.
What is the Nursing Homes Support Scheme?
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (also known as ‘Fair Deal Scheme’), provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care. It is managed by the HSE.
Under the Fair Deal Scheme, you make a contribution towards the cost of your care and the State pays the balance. The scheme covers approved private nursing homes, voluntary nursing homes and public nursing homes.
It covers long-term care only. It does not cover short-term care such as respite, convalescence or day care. The Department of Health has stated that this includes:
- Bed and board
- Nursing and personal care appropriate to the needs of the person
- Laundry service
- Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with daily activities
Your eligibility for other schemes, such as the Drugs Payment Scheme and Medical Card, are not affected by the Fair Deal Scheme.
How do you apply for the Fair Deal Scheme?
Anyone who is ordinarily a resident of the State (i.e. living here for at least one year) is eligible for the scheme. You can apply to your local Nursing Home Support Office on the standard application form. The application process involves both a financial and care needs assessment. The financial assessment looks at how much your contribution will be based on your income and assets.
Take a look at the Department of Health’s FAQs on the Nursing Home Support Scheme.
The HSE provides each approved applicant with a list of all approved nursing homes. Legislation states that the choice of nursing home is the decision of the applicant and/or their family. You can choose any home on the list subject to the following two conditions:
- The home must be able to cater for your needs
- The home must have an available place
Once your home is confirmed, you will pay your contribution and the HSE will pay the balance to the nursing home.
How do you manage your money in long-term care?
When going into a nursing home or long-term care it is also worth thinking about access to your money and how you will manage your finances.
You should consider whether you need another person to be able to access your accounts in the event that you are unable to. When choosing this person, ensure you choose someone you trust and consider putting limits on when and/or how they can withdraw money.
There are several different types of decision support arrangement you can put in place if you want someone else to make decisions on your behalf, either now or in the future.
What are your rights?
Before you go into residential care, a contract of care is agreed between you and the nursing home. This sets out the terms and conditions of your care and must include details of the services to be provided and the fees to be paid. You can read about what to look out for in the contract of care.
How can you complain about a nursing home?
By law, care providers must have procedures in place for handling complaints and provide information on how you can make a complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response from your nursing home, you can contact HIQA to report your concerns.
You can contact the Ombudsman with complaints about publicly-run homes and private nursing homes. You can read further information on how to complain to the Ombudsman on their website.
If you have any questions about your rights as a consumer, we are here to help. You can contact us here.
