– Scoring chart deeply unfair and could put older people at risk –
Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Niamh Smyth says the process by which home help hours are awarded needs to be urgently reviewed. She wants the current scoring chart system overhauled to make it more flexible.
“The current process includes a scoring chart that is used to assess and allocate home help hours. I have serious concerns about it, and want the HSE to urgently review it to ensure that the system remains flexible” Deputy Smyth explained.
“A one-size fits all approach doesn’t work when dealing with the health and care requirements of older people or people with disabilities. This score chart is extremely crude and is based on a number of “risk factors” rather than examining the overall needs of the person.
“For example, according to the weighting structure, someone who lives alone is given the highest score of 4; however a person who lives alone but receives visits from family members only scores a 2.
“No matter how many times a person receives a visit from a family member; they are still living on their own, and that brings its own set of challenges. This is a very simplistic way of assessing a person’s needs, and should be revisited as soon as possible.
“There are also serious staffing issues within the service – a number of cases have been brought to my attention whereby home help hours have been granted but there are not enough staff in place to provide them. This is a major problem for families across Cavan and Monaghan who are dependent on home help hours.
“Home care packages are a central part of community health care. They allow older people, who may need assistance and support, to stay in their homes rather than having to be treated in hospital or in a nursing home. This is the preferred option for the majority of older people and their families and all attempts should be made to provide this service”, concluded Deputy Smyth.