Michael Finucane
Ceist:178 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health if subvention will be paid to a private nursing home from the date that an emergency case is accepted by them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Nursing Homes Subventions.
Under article 4.4 of the Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations a person who is admitted to a nursing home in emergency circumstances or a person acting on his or her behalf, may apply to the responsible health board for a subvention provided that the health board is satisfied that the person needed to be admitted as a matter of emergency and that the registered proprietor or person in charge had no option but to admit the person at that time. If the health board is satisfied that the admission was a genuine emergency, article 13.1 specifies that payment may be paid by the health board from the date the person qualified for the subvention.
Michael Finucane
Ceist:180 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to private nursing home subvention, offspring are obliged to disclose their income and contribute to the parent's upkeep; and if he can confirm that this will not affect the application for subvention.
It might be helpful to the Deputy if I set out the procedures for qualifying for a subvention under the recently commenced nursing home legislation. A person applying for a subvention to a health board is first assessed to establish whether or not he or she is sufficiently dependent to require care in a nursing home. Under the Regulations, there are three maximum rates of subvention which may be paid to a person depending on whether his or her level of dependency is maximum, high or medium.
If a person is sufficiently dependent to require nursing home care, the health board will assess his or her income and assets to establish whether or not the person can pay the cost of nursing home care. The Regulations provide that a person whose means do not exceed the non-contributory old age pension will qualify for the maximum rate of subvention related to his or her level of dependency.
A health board may only inquire into the income of a son or daughter of the applicant if the board has decided that the person qualifies for a nursing home subvention. A health board's inquiries are confined to sons or daughters aged 21 years of age and over residing in the jurisdiction. The purpose of such inquiries is to establish whether or not a son or daughter is in a position to contribute towards the cost of a parent's care in a nursing home.
The legislation does not oblige sons and daughters to contribute towards the cost of a mother or father's care in a nursing home. The successful applicant remains entitled to a subvention irrespective of a son or daughter's capacity or willingness to contribute. However, a health board may take the ability of a son or daughter to contribute into account in deciding the amount of subvention to pay the person who has qualified for a subvention.