Fair Deal Advice Blog

COVID-19 and Implications for Older Persons Care

The COVID-19 pandemic and the fear that it has created in our communities is causing considerable issues for our older communities in particular those who are relying on Home care services or who are in Hospital.

I have received many calls from concerned families who have quite suddenly being left with no Home care as the persons performing this valuable service have withdrawn from providing it leaving many older and vulnerable people and families in difficult situations. If you know anyone living alone who was receiving this assistance, I suggest you make contact with them and make sure that they are okay for shopping etc.

This crisis has resulted in Home care no longer being a viable care solution for older persons and many will now have to enter long term care facilities as families are unable to meet their relatives care needs. The good news is that Nursing Home are continuing to accept admissions and the Fair Deal scheme remains open. At Fair Deal Advice we are here to hep you with the process of advising and applying for the Fair Deal if required.

Many of my calls at present are from Families with older relatives in hospital who are or have been transferred into Nursing Homes to clear bed space for potential COVID-19 patients. This believe it or not is a positive for your relatives as Acute Hospitals are no place to be in at present and your relatives will receive better care and be safer in Nursing Homes. In order to get the patients out of the Acute Hospitals many will have been offered temporary transitional care relief whereby the HSE will pay the majority of the cost of care in the Nursing Home for the transferred patient while they apply for the Fair Deal. If you are in these circumstances, I would urge you to apply for the Fair Deal without delay. This will ensure that you will have Fair Deal funding in place when the transitional care relief is withdrawn or runs out. Many people don’t normally have the benefit of receiving transitional care and would normally have to fund the cost of care privately until the application for Fair Deal is approved and funding allocated.

The Fair Deal is a complicated process and I would strongly recommend that you obtain professional advice on it before you complete and submit your application. Incorrectly filled applications have serious implications in the future so don’t be pressured or rushed to complete the application. Get advice and complete the application correctly.

At Fair Deal Advice we are here to advise you on the Fair Deal and to help you applying for the Fair Deal. If you need assistance please contact us on 086 601 5042 or email us at advice@fairdealadvice.ie . For further information visit our website www.fairdealadvice.ie