The supposed “top up” fees of €5,000 to €12,000 a month are as much as three times what private nursing homes are paid under the Fair Deal scheme. The resident came with a substantial additional monthly payment, paid for by the HSE for complex care needs. The fee is set by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, a government health funding body. The scale of the fee has long been a source of contention for private nursing homes who claim it is not enough to cover the cost of care. Ms Maguire said residents of nursing homes and their families need to have “full visibility on the state- funding of private and voluntary nursing homes.”The Health Service Executive yesterday confirmed that it pays additional fees to private nursing homes for residents who have complex needs.

Source: Irish Independent August 08, 2021 01:34 UTC