05/10/09

CORK EAST TD Seán Sherlock has given a cautious welcome to the announcement that the long promised ‘Fair Deal' Scheme will be introduced on October 27. Deputy Sherlock said that while he welcomed the long awaited introduction of the scheme that will pay 70% of the costs of private nursing home care for people who qualify for financial support, he also had concerns surrounding the workings of the ‘deal.'

"The HSE says the scheme will cover 70% of the patient's costs of staying at a nursing home, and limit the patient's exposure to the remaining 30% cost to a maximum of 80% of their disposable income. The deal, however, does not cover the cost of a variety of important treatments such as physiotherapy and my fear would be that with only 20% of their disposable income left, this would leave older people struggling to make ends meet."

 

"I would hope that at the very least any monies used to pay for treatments would be discounted from the HSE's assessment of a person's ‘disposable income,'" concluded Deputy Sherlock.

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