Action must replace words to help elderly

ANOTHER week begins with another story of the reality of what it is to be old in 21st century Ireland. Yet again, we are reminded of the yawning gap between the rhetoric and the practice in elderly care. Today we report on a lack of home care and support which is forcing elderly people into nursing homes. Many of these would prefer to stay in their homes and could do so with better supports.

That would be win-win for the elderly people and their families – and the hard-pressed taxpayer. Care at home is ultimately much cheaper than institutional care.

A report by the Citizens’ Information Board for the Department of Health finds the bitter reality that people are being left with no option but to go into nursing homes. This is despite the reality that a basic level of support could allow them to stay in their own homes.

The campaign group Age Action, an entity which avoids excessive statements, has warned homecare in this country is now in crisis. Waiting lists are growing and older people are forced into nursing homes because they are not being supported to live at home. The reality all too often is that our elderly people are being left isolated, especially in rural areas. We all need to do more to help keep people living in their communities.

For quite some time, successive governments have laid great stress on the need to develop community care. It is acknowledged this is best for the care users and also more cost-effective. But that is the theory.

In practice, when it comes to spreading the pressurised health budgets, cutbacks and restraints on investment are more easily imposed upon community care. And until that grim reality changes, nothing will change.