Latest news with #RTÉInvestigates
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Time to get real on nursing home costs
Never one to miss the opportunity to capitalise on Government blushes, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called for a less commercial (ie, private sector) approach to caring for our elderly It's a sentiment any family would share and an easy point to make in the aftermath of last week's RTÉ Investigates programme on abuse and neglect of elderly nursing home residents. However, divorced from the financial realities such an approach entails – financial realities that everyone in national politics is fully aware of – it is little more than a cheap populist stunt. No more or less than the health sector in general, nursing homes work under a two-tier structure. There is a modest network of public nursing homes and a far bigger and growing private nursing home sector. READ MORE Accepting the fact that very few people will have the capacity to pay up to €8,000 a month for their own care or that of their loved ones, the State partly funds the private sector through Fair Deal. The alternative is to invest in tens of thousands of additional public nursing home beds, but there is no political appetite for that. What the State pays per bed per week under Fair Deal is a fraction of the State-funded cost per bed in public nursing homes. In other words, the State pays private nursing homes substantially less per bed than it pays for the same bed in a public nursing home. Upwards of three-quarters of all long-term residents in private nursing homes are funded by the Fair Deal. That inevitably means that private nursing homes must operate on far lower costs per bed. And that's even before you consider that private sector business, by definition, operates on a for-profit basis. How to manage your pension in these volatile times Listen | 37:00 Everyone will rightly be horrified at the abuse and neglect captured by the RTÉ Investigates team in two homes run by the State's largest single private sector provider, Emeis/Orpea. But equally, no one with any experience of nursing homes in the Republic would have great confidence that such incidents are isolated to those nursing homes or that company. Politicians, on the Government side and in Opposition, can engage in cheap soundbites, but for those in nursing homes and their families, honest engagement on how the State can help meet the real cost of eldercare would be far more welcome.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Nursing home care issues, the Trump-Musk breakup
The RTÉ Investigates documentary into care at one of Ireland's leading nursing home providers revealed multiple examples of care failings. On Behind the Story, Fran and Katie discuss the staff shortages and unsafe practices found in the programme and the questions raised about how older people are cared for. Meanwhile, the bromance between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk ended abruptly after the tech boss criticised the president's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill. In a statement, the White House called it an "unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted". The Musk-Trump breakup sent Tesla's stock price plunging and could jeopardise US government contracts pledged to his companies. Adam Maguire joins the podcast to explain the money behind their relationship. You can listen to Katie and Fran's analysis on the situation on Behind the Story which is available on the RTÉ Radio Player.
The Journal
4 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Taoiseach calls for HIQA's regulations to be examined following RTÉ nursing home investigation
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has called for a review of HIQA's regulatory framework after an RTÉ Investigates programme highlighted poor treatment and practice within two privately-owned care homes. Both care facilities – The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin – are under the ownership of Emeis Ireland, formerly known as Orpea. Emeis operates 27 nursing homes across the country after entering the Irish market in 2022. It was revealed this week that the nursing homes regulator HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority) had stopped new admissions to The Residence in Portlaoise in April. HIQA said it was 'very concerned' over the 'distressing' scenes in the RTÉ programme. Speaking to reporters today, Martin described the scenes in the RTÉ Investigates programme as 'horrific, shocking and absolutely unacceptable'. He said there was a lack of a 'clear ethos and framework' and that there are 'issues for HIQA's approach to this'. 'I think HIQA will be examining that aspect of it,' said Martin, 'in terms of the methodology used to inspect. Advertisement 'Are there better ways of getting under this to make sure that this does not happen again.' He then called for 'increased vigilance from the regulatory approach' and added that this is 'something that the government will be looking at'. Martin said he has spoken with both Kieran O'Donnell, Minister of State for Older People, and Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill on the issue. He further remarked that the issue is 'fundamentally about regulation' but added that HIQA is 'well resourced'. And while Martin said HIQA has been 'effective and impactful in many areas', he added that 'there has to be an examination' because the 'regulatory framework didn't catch very horrific and shocking behaviour towards elderly people in nursing homes'. Martin also said that there will now be a 'full look' at all the homes under Emeis's ownership. Meanwhile, Martin remarked that Ireland is 'one of the more young populations in Europe, but we're aging fast'. However, he said there is a 'multi-stranded approach to aging' by the government and that a new national safeguarding policy is being developed. But while he remarked that this new policy 'would be an additional help', he added: 'But fundamentally, it's behaviour on a day-to-day basis and how homes are operated, and it's the regulation of that that ultimately will still have to be the first response and key response to situations like this.' He also said there will continue to be a mix of public and private care homes due to the need to be 'absolutely realistic and pragmatic about the population growth and the aging of the population'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Cork TD calls for HIQA to appear before PAC following ‘appalling' footage on RTÉ Investigates programme
The footage in RTÉ Investigates – Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes which was broadcast on Wednesday, June 4 details a litany of failings in two homes run by Emeis Ireland, formerly Orpea. The French-owned company has 27 privately-run facilities here, providing more than 2,400 beds. After concerns were raised by several whistleblowers, RTÉ sent two undercover researchers to apply for healthcare assistant roles. They obtained footage from The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, Dublin. Among the breaches detailed were inadequate staffing levels, which at times left one employee looking after 23 residents, and people being refused help to go to the toilet. HIQA has subsequently confirmed that it stopped admissions to the nursing home in Laois prior to the programme being aired. Labour Party TD for Cork North Central Eoghan Kenny expressed concerns that the RTÉ Investigates programme into nursing home care represents but a drop in the ocean of failures across care of older people. Deputy Kenny who is a member of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee said HIQA have not appeared before the PAC since 2017. 'Given the huge systemic issues within the organisation detailed by RTÉ, I will be proposing inviting HIQA to the PAC with my committee colleagues. The fact that HIQA took over four months to investigate issues identified by RTÉ is beyond belief. We are talking about care of our much loved older people who deserve dignity as they age." 'What we witnessed was utterly appalling,' said Deputy Kenny. 'Credit is due to RTÉ for highlighting this issue. Staff members from other homes have made contact with my office to express their concerns about practices being replicated in their workplace. 'HIQA are failing in their statutory remit to investigate and resolve issues when they arise locally. Given the scale and the nature of what was exposed, it is crucial that we examine in detail the procedures and potential gaps within HIQA to address these urgently. The PAC could work constructively with HIQA representatives on this,' he added. The Cork TD said accountability is 'crucial' to ensure the most vulnerable are protected 'HIQA have a fundamental role to play in ensuring this happens. Accountability is crucial, but so too is ensuring procedures and processes are in place to protect the vulnerable in our society. It's vital that we have the highest standards of care for older people. HIQA have a fundamental role to play in ensuring this happens.'
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach calls for review of Hiqa after RTÉ exposé on nursing home abuse
The Taoiseach says there must be an investigation into how the health regulator failed to detect some of the abuse uncovered at two nursing homes. Micheál Martin insisted that the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) is well-resourced and fit for purpose, but said the Government plans to consider how it can strengthen oversight of nursing homes in the wake of the latest scandal. 'Since its beginning, it (Hiqa) came out of the quality and fairness strategy of 2002, which I published at the time, it was the first ever development in Ireland in terms of quality control and regulation within our health service,' Mr Martin said. 'Over the years its role has expanded. It has been effective and impactful in many areas. That has to be said. 'But certainly there has to be an examination of this situation - the regulatory framework didn't catch very horrific and shocking behaviour towards elderly people in nursing homes. That has to be taken on board.' He made his comments in Cork today, as Hiqa begins a review of all nursing homes operated by the Emeis Ireland group. The Health and Safety Authority is also preparing to carry out inspections at the two centres featured in the RTÉ Investigates documentary, which examined standards of care at Ireland's largest private nursing home provider. Mr Martin said: 'What happened and what was uncovered by RTÉ Investigates was absolutely and absolutely unacceptable. 'It illustrated in terms of the governance of those nursing homes, the ownership, a lack of a clear ethos and ethical framework in terms of respecting the dignity of every human being, of every person living in those nursing homes. 'We think of the families who had to watch that, who placed their loved ones in the care of those homes. 'It is quite shocking. It is not acceptable.' He rejected claims that the Government had neglected the complex needs of elderly people, pointing to a multi-stranded approach, including a doubling of expenditure on home care to over €800 million and significant investment in community district hospitals over the last five years. However, he acknowledged shortcomings in Hiqa's inspection methods. 'I think we have to stand back and take a look at how in one case anyway the inspections did reveal a lack of compliance - in another, not so - and that needs to be examined as to how that came about and are there better ways of getting in under this to make sure that this does not happen again,' he said. 'There will have to be increased vigilance from the regulatory approach and that is something that government will be looking at.' Despite the criticisms, he maintained that Hiqa remains effective. 'This is fundamentally about regulation and fundamentally about the regulatory frameworks governing both private and public,' he said. "There are safeguarding policies already in place. 'There is a new national safeguarding policy being developed, and parallel with that and after that obviously, which will take guidance from the strategy, legislation will be passed. 'But that in itself isn't the issue. It will be an additional help but fundamentally it's behaviour on a day-to-day basis. 'It is how homes are operated and it's the regulation then of that that ultimately will still have to be the first response and the key response to situations like this." He also emphasised the need for future legislation around home care. "The objective of most families is can we keep our loved one at home for as long as possible and that will be provided for legislatively, it is already provided for, we have doubled home care provision. 'I see that as taking up a significant part of the provision into the future. 'And we have invested very strongly in the public system which people may not realise through the refurbishment of existing community district hospitals across the country over the last 4 to 5 years. 'There will be additional investment in public facilities into the future. 'But it will continue to be a mix of public, private and home care to be absolutely realistic and pragmatic about it given the population growth and the ageing of the population,' he added. Read More Daughter of nursing home resident describes distressing scenes at Beneavin Manor
