Older people living in rural Ireland will face a shortage of nursing home beds near their homes as large new facilities open in counties with larger populations and more existing beds, a new study has found. .
The country has become increasingly reliant on large centers funded by international private equity firms, accounting for nearly one in five small private nursing homes, according to a paper by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). It turns out that it has been closed for two years.
Researchers say planning data showing several other large facilities scheduled to open in counties with the highest per capita bed supply for long-term housing could further widen regional inequality. warned that it was high.
The Government now faces calls from its own backbench for more to be done to support small local care homes, including by providing grants and free skills and expertise training. Fine Gael TD for Louth, Fergus O’Dowd, said: “Small care homes should remain open and are vital to people’s health and to keeping our communities vibrant and vibrant. ” he said.
The ESRI report focuses on the changes and challenges facing the residential care sector since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, from February 2020 to December 2022, nearly one in five small private nursing homes (nursing homes with 30 or fewer beds) closed. According to the report, these closures occurred primarily in rural areas.
As of December 2022, there were 31,728 long-term residential care beds in Ireland, a decrease of 336 beds since the beginning of the pandemic.
Nearly every county has seen a decline in hospital bed capacity since the start of the pandemic. However, increases were seen in Dublin and commuter belt counties as private equity-funded owners and operators opened large care homes with more than 150 beds.
Rural counties such as Laois, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan, Kerry and Leitrim have the lowest per capita supply of nursing home beds.
There is also increasing consolidation of private, for-profit, long-term residential care home operators, with recent entrants to the Irish market primarily funded by international private equity.
Currently, approximately 74 percent of all beds are provided in private homes, and 14 large private operators provide approximately 40 percent of all beds nationwide. His two-thirds of all beds in Meath, Monaghan and Laois are currently provided by major private operators.
Dr Brendan Walsh, senior research fellow at ESRI, said Ireland was at a “critical juncture” in establishing a sustainable long-term care system for older people.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on long-term residential care.” [LTRC] Both residents and workers. “However, this period has also seen significant changes in supply, ownership and financing, and the sector faces many challenges as we emerge from the pandemic.”
“Currently, our LTRC system is increasingly reliant on a small number of profit-driven operators, with the primary objective of meeting the health and social care demands of residents within a more integrated care environment. We need policies that harmonize economic incentives for nursing home providers.”
“We know that it is not in the best interests of older people to stay in large facilities that are primarily run as investment opportunities,” Social Democratic Party health spokeswoman Róisín Shortall said.
She said the current funding system was “competitive” against the small regional model. She said home care was underfunded, hindering older people who wanted to stay in their homes with support.
The Department of Health said that Mary Butler, the minister responsible for older people, was fully aware of the “vital role” played by small, voluntary nursing homes, and provisional figures show that as the size of facilities has increased. He pointed out that the total number of beds will increase in 2023. A new nursing home.
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