Problems with getting home care packages approved because of funding issues is slowing down the release of patients from hospitals and that in turn is adding to the A and E crisis.
We have been inundated with communications from people who either cannot get home care packages approved or there are many cases where extra hours are approved but they never materialise as the patients are told that there is no funding for it. We have seen once again in the past two weeks that our hospital A and E units are working to, and beyond capacity and everyone agrees that freeing up hospital beds is a major reason for that.
The HSE and the Minister will have to treat the home help situation seriously. People want to be in their own homes and extra funding for home help would be able to provide that for a lot of patients. Extra home help packages and extra hours for those people who need it to prevent them from returning to hospital is a cost saver in the long run and this is a matter that I will be raising with the Minister this week. It is not the only thing that will solve the A and E crisis but it would be a big help.