BEDS are so scarce in Cork nursing homes that families are keeping an eye on the newspaper death columns in the hopes of identifying spaces for loved ones.
That’s according to elderly rights advocate Paddy O’Brien who says that the resource issue is so serious that elderly people are waiting up to three months in hospital, despite being medically well enough for discharge, as they simply have nowhere to go.
The problem, he argues, is getting increasingly fraught and “has never been worse than it is now”.
“This is a disgraceful situation, an appalling state, and I’m dealing with this problem on a daily basis.
“People are waiting for weeks in hospital to be discharged because there are no beds for them in nursing homes.
“I know of one lady who was in hospital for three months,” he said.
Mr O’Brien says that he receives many calls from families desperate for help and advice, but that there is little to be done unless the sector receives more investment.
“I rang 12 nursing homes last month for a lady who is looking for a bed to be told by some that the waiting lists are so long that they aren’t even taking more names.
“Things have become so desperate that there are families reading the death columns on a daily basis and calling nursing homes if they see someone was resident in a home.
“This has been confirmed to me by two homes, who say that if a resident passes away, their phones are ringing off the hook for weeks.”
Cork City, Mr O’Brien argues, is particularly bad, with a lack of beds forcing those lucky enough to receive any offer, to travel to towns such as Mallow, Kinsale and Fermoy for a bed.
“It’s unfair to take people 30 miles away from home and very difficult for them when they are so isolated. In some cases, there isn’t adequate public transport for family to visit them.”
The solution, he believes includes further resourcing, and placing a greater emphasis on helping support elderly people stay in their own homes in the first instance.
“The HSE must look at their community care programme to help keep people at home,” he said.
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