With a population that is ageing rapidly, and faster than anywhere else in Europe, Ireland faces a unique but exciting challenge in ensuring that its healthcare system and the nursing home sector is sustainable, resilient, and equitable.
Ireland is a country in which nursing home care is lauded by its residents and their families, as evidenced by the national resident experience survey report, with 90.3 percent reporting a good/very good experience. Our main priority is making sure that the nursing home sector, and the wider healthcare system, is prepared for Ireland’s ageing population, so Ireland can be a country to celebrate growing old.
It is within this reality that NHI (Nursing Homes Ireland) seeks to transform nursing home care in Ireland, and to create a resident-focused, sustainable, resilient nursing-home care system. Over the last several months, NHI has been in close consultation with its members, board, staff, and key stakeholders in developing a new strategic plan, to further set NHI as the leading voice and authority in the sector.
The focus of our strategy is ‘HOMES’, which puts the resident at its core and supporting the overall healthcare structure as an integrated and sustainable system. NHI continues to effectively represent members and provide a strong united voice for the nursing home sector which provides care to everyone who needs it.
Care-First is at the heart of the strategy, amplifying the voice of residents in homes and championing care philosophies and responding to evolving needs. The title ‘HOMES’ reflects the ambition of NHI to highlight (H), organise (O), motivate (M), engage (E) and shape (S) the environment for residents of nursing homes and members of the national representative organisation.
Our strategy embodies the ethos of placing the resident at the centre of our work. We have spent much time listening to residents, members, and other stakeholders to develop a strategy which is brought to life by the word ‘homes’: highlighting the voices of residents and members; organising campaigns to have their voices heard; motivating the Government and society at large; engaging our residents and members; and shaping the provision of care for our ageing population.
This strategy aims to place the voice of residents and members at the heart of everything we do. However, that is increasingly difficult. Even though it is well recognised that the provision of nursing home care is a vital part of our healthcare system, we find ourselves at an important juncture concerning the future of nursing home care in Ireland.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Government is not addressing the crisis in nursing home care. The reality of the enormous increase in costs – 36 percent over a five-year period according to a PwC study – is not reflected in fees for resident care in private and voluntary nursing homes by the State to the sector, which provides 80 percent of its care.
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities within the nursing home system. Despite these challenges, nursing home staff across the country were heroic in their care and support of their residents.
Alongside this, the increase of closures of nursing homes around the country, is one of the most concerning problems that must be immediately addressed by the Government. In Connacht alone, five nursing homes have closed in the last five years, with 161 beds being lost as a result. The closure of these nursing homes is heartbreaking, for the residents who live there having to move and for the families and staff of these facilities.
With the launch of our Strategic Plan 2024-2026, we are actively working towards creating a more resilient, sustainable and compassionate nursing home system. This requires a collaborative effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, families, and advocates to ensure that the needs of our ageing population are met with dignity, respect and quality care.
By investing in staff, increasing funding and prioritising resident-centred care, we can create a nursing home system that truly serves the needs of our ageing population. In doing so, we not only create a nursing home system that can support our residents, but also supports the overall health and social system.
Nursing home care needs to be supported. It’s time to act and ensure that current and future generations of our ageing population receive the care and respect they deserve in local communities throughout Ireland.
Tadhg Daly is Chief Executive Officer of Nursing Homes Ireland. For more information and to find out how to support the NHI campaign visit www.nhi.ie or email info@nhi.ie.
OPINION: Nursing-home care must be supported
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19.04.2024
With a population that is ageing rapidly, and faster than anywhere else in Europe, Ireland faces a unique but exciting challenge in ensuring that its healthcare system and the nursing home sector is sustainable, resilient, and equitable.
Ireland is a country in which nursing home care is lauded by its residents and their families, as evidenced by the national resident experience survey report, with 90.3 percent reporting a good/very good experience. Our main priority is making sure that the nursing home sector, and the wider healthcare system, is prepared for Ireland’s ageing population, so Ireland can be a country to celebrate growing old.
It is within this reality that NHI (Nursing Homes Ireland) seeks to transform nursing home care in Ireland, and to create a resident-focused, sustainable, resilient nursing-home care system. Over the last several months, NHI has been in close consultation with its members, board, staff, and key stakeholders in developing a new strategic plan, to further set NHI as the leading voice and authority in the sector.
The focus of our strategy is ‘HOMES’, which puts the resident at its core and supporting the........
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