Minister publishes 'fair deal' nursing-home Bill
October 9, 2008
By JASON MICHAEL, OLIVIA KELLY and EITHNE DONNELLAN,
Health Correspondent
The Minister for Health today published the long-awaited Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008 amid criticism from Opposition parties and Age Action.
The Bill published by Mary Harney underpins the “fair deal” nursing home funding scheme and allows older people to pay nursing home fees after death.
The scheme had been due to come into effect last January but was delayed because of legal difficulties surrounding applications for people who no longer had the mental capacity to look after their own affairs.
Although this legal problem has been resolved Ms Harney indicated that the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill would be unlikely to proceed through the Dáil this year, and the scheme is not expected to come into force until the middle of next year.
Under the scheme people moving into a nursing home will pay a maximum of 80 per cent their income towards the cost of their care, based on a Health Service Executive assessment of their assets.
If this does not cover the cost, the State pays the remainder and can recover this cost from the sale of the person's house after their death. These costs are levied only up to 15 per cent of the value of the house and their recovery can be deferred until after death of a spouse, cohabiting partner or dependent child or relative.
The scheme is voluntary, and both new and existing nursing home residents are eligible to apply.
Commenting on the Bill, Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins queried whether it would mean that an older person who is medically assessed as being in need of full-time medical and nursing care but refuses to sign up to the new charging arrangement - under which he would pay 80 per cent of his income and up to 15 per cent of the value of his estate - would be refused essential care by the State.
© 2008 irishtimes.com
Abridged
SOURCE: Irish Times
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