Galway Bay fm newsroom - A new survey has revealed that Galway has the second lowest nursing home "Fair Deal" support rate nationwide.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care.
Under the scheme, applicants make a contribution towards the cost of their care in private, public or voluntary nursing homes, while the HSE pays the balance.
However, the latest BDO Ireland and Nursing Homes Ireland Survey reveals Galway currently has the second lowest support rate in the country at €931 per bed per week.
Noting that's €230 lower than Dublin, where the highest price is paid - BDO Ireland says Galway is not getting a "fair deal" at all.
It argues the assessment system is fundamentally flawed, and needs to shift from a county by county assessment to one that is based on actual care needs.
BDO Ireland points out that for a 65 bed nursing home, which is the average size of home in Ireland today, the difference would be almost €950 thousand a year in patient support.
It also notes that current conditions are leading to a huge rise in market share for large operators compared to owner-operators and voluntary organisations.
This, it warns, could heavily impact on choices for older people in the future, particularly in non-urban settings.
The report concludes that in many areas across Ireland, it's not economically viable to develop new nursing homes on the Fair Deal rates granted to new facilities.
