‘The crisis in home help will worsen’

“IT is very obvious from reading the reply we have received from the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, that the current crisis in the home help service in Sligo will not only continue, but will probably worsen in the months ahead,” Cllr Bree told the recent meeting of the Borough District of Sligo.

“The Minister actually confirms in his letter that there are hundreds of people in Sligo and Leitrim waiting for home help service. And I can tell you that each and every one of these applicants has a personal story to tell.

“Time and time again I am being contacted by applicants for the service who are at their wits’ end trying to manage at home without any support.

“When applicants are successful and are eventually approved for the service it then takes on average approximately 3 months before the home help service is actually provided.

“Some applicants in Sligo have had to wait up to 5 months before the service was provided.

“The reality is that there has been a shortfall in the funding for the home help service in Sligo for the past few years and because that led to over-budgeting the Minister insisted that the overspend be rectified.

“This means in real terms that there will probably be less funding available to provide the home help service in Sligo this year, at a time when our elderly population is growing.

“To make matters worse a significant portion of the funding is being paid to private for-profit companies contracted by the HSE.

“This is happening despite the fact that it is common knowledge that the direct provision of the home help service by HSE employees is much less expensive.

“In addition delayed discharges from hospital are now becoming more common because there is no home help service for people when they return home.

“This at a time when beds in acute hospitals are at a premium and many patients languishing on trolleys.

“The home help service was established to support people being maintained in their own home and today it is an essential service for many elderly people.

“I find it shocking and unacceptable that the Government and Department is refusing to provide adequate resources to fund the service,” Cllr Bree added.