Homecare is better

IT IS the decision every family dreads – whether or not to put a much-loved parent into a home when infirmity or dementia makes round-the-clock care necessary.

Everyone agrees that the best outcomes for the elderly derive from their being able to stay in their own homes, with the family able to call in and help out. That’s why we welcome junior health minister Helen McEntee’s commitment to offer State-subsidised homecare within two years.

The Fair Deal scheme for nursing homes has helped financially but not socially. As TV presenter Brendan Courtney so movingly advocated in the documentary about his father, keeping parents at home, with help provided, is best for everyone.