Nursing homes must be transparent on charges

THERE is a touch of the Father Teds about the latest claim concerning nursing homes and the charging of older people for random services.

But even on Craggy Island the notion of demanding payment for the privilege of attending Mass would be regarded as more than an ecumenical matter.

Earlier this year, we reported how some elderly nursing home residents were being forced to pay up to €100 a week in top-up fees, including “illegal” doctors’ charges – even though they have a medical card.

Age Action confirmed it had been contacted by scores of distressed families over the past two years.

The organisation has previously called for the Department of Health to force all nursing homes to publish their fees online and amend the law to allow residents to opt out of paying for services they cannot take part in. There can be no excuse for any further delays.

Three out of four nursing homes in this country are in the private sector. The average cost is €1,000 a week but as much as €1,800 has been charged. Given that there are as many as 30,000 elderly people in permanent care, the potential for abuse of charges is all too real. Of course, the vast majority of care homes operate to the highest standards of propriety.

Nonetheless, fears of exploitation are real and there is nothing to be lost by the HSE assessing if a resident needs therapies or supports, to take these costs into account when calculating their Fair Deal contribution.