Six Dublin nursing homes have closed since 2020 amid spiking costs as a new report has been described by advocates as a "wake up call" for government.
The research, commissioned by Nursing Homes Ireland, examined how nursing homes have operated over the past three years. The study found that 915 beds had been lost since 2020, with six nursing homes closing in Dublin over the past three years.
Costs have also shot up rapidly for individual patients at nursing home facilities. Nursing Homes Ireland has called for a reassessment scheme of the Fair Deal scheme in the wake of the report.
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Chief Excecutive of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly said: "It is becoming increasingly unfeasible to operate a nursing home in Ireland, due to rapidly rising costs and only very marginal increases in income stream – which is the result of a Fair Deal Rate pricing mechanism no longer suitable for the current operating environment. The sector is in a state of crisis and contraction, with more and more homes and beds closing and not being replaced."
The independent review also found that Ireland's older population is the fastest growing in Europe. This increase, alongside the growth of chronic illnesses like dementia, will likely place additional pressure on the healthcare system in the years to come.
The report recommends that government adapt funding to avoid further closures. Further engagement is also needed between stakeholders to safeguard Ireland's bed capacity for its ageing population.
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