Families 'leaving elderly relatives in hospital to avoid nursing homes'
The Government is set to look at new ways to allow older people and those with a disability to stay at home for as long as possible.
Minister with responsibility for the area Helen McEntee said a public consultation process was being worked out. She has not given a timeframe for a home care scheme.
It comes amid claims that some people leave elderly relatives in hospital beds rather than sending them to a nursing home, to protect their inheritance. The claims are contained in HSE emails obtained by the Irish Times under Freedom of Information legislation.
Consultant at Cork University Hospital Chris Luke said older people being left in hospital is a familiar sight.
"Any practitioner in hospital will have come across cases where families are very reluctant to take their elderly relatives out of hospital even where medical care has been completed," he said.
"I've heard of recent cases where lawyers have had to be involved in cases where families refused to take their elderly relatives home."
In a documentray (We Need To Talk About Dad) screened on Monday night, presenter Brendan Courtney talked about the process faced by his family after their father had a stroke, and needed care. One of the topics addressed was the lack of options for State-subscidised home care.
You can watch We Need To Talk About Dad on the RTE player here.
