Home- help hours slashed in Sligo

FIANNA Fáil TD for Sligo- Leitrim Eamon Scanlon has criticised the Government for forcing the HSE to slash home help hours across the two counties.

Deputy Scanlon made the comments after obtaining new information which shows that there has been a 13% cut in hours in the first two months of 2017 compared to January and February 2016. There were 74,063 home help hours provided in the Sligo- Leitrim area in January and February 2016, but this figure has fallen to 64,214 for the same period in 2017. This is a reduction of 9,849 hours for a two month period.

He said: “Families across Sligo have seen their home help hours decimated under this Government – some to the extent that the time allocated is simply not enough for healthcare providers to carry out all of the work required. Washing, changing, cooking and cleaning all take time – but unfortunately as a result of the ruthless cuts imposed by this Government – healthcare workers are unable to deliver the necessary services in the time that they’re given. This is impacting on the care that older people are receiving.

“The care givers and recipients are losing out as a result of these harsh cuts. Healthcare workers are under severe pressure to get their work carried out under unrealistic time constraints, and unfortunately people are not receiving the level of care they deserve.

“The majority of older people want to live with dignity and stay in their own homes, and these supports are designed to facilitate that. However, the information shows that the Sligo- Leitrim area has suffered a 13% cutback to home help hours since 2016. Older people are being forced to consider entering a nursing home environment when all they want is to be cared for in the comfort of their own home.”

The HSE has refuted these claims.