Last Updated on March 24, 2023 by hassan abbas
Living in a care home can be expensive, especially if you don’t have the right funding. A lot of people are afraid to ask for money because they are worried that they won’t get any. This is not true! There are many different options available for those who need help paying for a care home. In this article, we’ll go over some of them so that you can figure out which ones would work best for your situation.
Aged Care
Aged care funding is a scheme that helps to pay for residential care for elderly people in Ireland. It can be used to pay for private or public nursing homes, hostels and other types of accommodation with nursing care facilities.
Aged Care funding is available to people who are over 65 years old who qualify under the criteria set out by the Department of Health, as well as their spouses if they have an illness that prevents them from working.
Eligibility for Aged Care Funding:
- You must be over 65 years old (or your spouse has an illness preventing them from working). If you’re under 65 but have a disability which means you need help with daily activities like washing and dressing yourself, eating meals or using the toilet then you may still be eligible depending on how severe your condition is.
- You should not expect any significant improvement in your health situation within 12 months of applying for assistance
Carer and Home Support Services
Carers are essential to the health and well-being of people who depend on them. If you or someone close to you needs caregiving, there are a number of resources that can help you find the right services.
In Ireland, there are over 300,000 carers providing support for family members and friends with long term illnesses or disabilities. This can be a difficult role as many people don’t have enough time or energy to give their families the support they need. Becoming an official “carer” allows individuals access to financial assistance from the government so that they are able to maintain their health while caring for others as well as reduce stress levels associated with caring duties (Source: Carers Ireland).
If you’re interested in becoming a carer but aren’t sure where to start, here’s what you need know about how Irish citizens become official caregivers:
Capitation
Capitation is a type of funding that pays providers based on the number of residents they have in their care home. It is one option under the Residential Care Subsidy (RCS), which provides financial support to people who need residential care services.
Residents are placed into groups, or ‘bundles’, depending on their medical needs, and each bundle gets a set amount of funding per month. The more complex your care requirements, the higher your capitation rate will be.
There are some pros and cons associated with capitation:
Case Managers
Case managers are a support service for people who are applying for funding for residing in a care home. A case manager can help you with the application process and any other questions you may have about it. This is a great resource if you’re confused or unsure of anything on your application form, as they will be able to guide you through it step-by-step.
Charitable Assistance
Charitable assistance is a payment made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to meet the cost of care in a nursing home. If you are eligible, it can be paid as an annual lump sum or as an ongoing monthly income supplement.
The HSE will consider your application if you are over 65, have lived permanently in Ireland for at least one year and meet the following criteria:
- You must be receiving full-time care
- Your assets must not exceed €350,000, regardless of who owns them
- Your income from all sources cannot exceed €500 per week
CPRD – Commission for Patient Rights & Quality Healthcare in Ireland
- CPRD – The Commission for Patient Rights & Quality Healthcare in Ireland is an independent statutory body that sets and oversees standards of care in Irish health services. It was established in 2004 to replace the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which it took over from.
- Funding – The commission is funded by the Department of Health and Children, who provide it with €14m every year.
Dental Services
The [HSE](https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/hospital_services/dental_services/) provides a range of dental services for children and adults, as well as for people with disabilities. These include community dental clinics and hospital services (emergency treatment). You can access these services through your General Practitioner if you are registered with them.
If the HSE does not provide funding for treatment, it may still be possible to have your dental needs met through medical cover or private insurance schemes. Many private dentists also offer their own patient finance options or charity programmes that can help you pay for treatment costs without affecting eligibility for social welfare benefits like Carer’s Allowance or Rent Supplement payments
Elderly Care Services
In Ireland, elderly care is provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE provides long-term and short-term care services to residents in Ireland and around the world through its network of hospitals, nursing homes and day centres.
Long-term care provided by an elderly care service may include:
- Nursing home accommodation (residential) or home help/home support services; or
- Residential respite care for people with disabilities; or
- Respite breaks for family members looking after family members who have a disability; or
- Home help/home support services; or
Short term residential respite provided by an elderly care service may include: * Residential respite care for people with disabilities; * Respite breaks for family members looking after family members who have a disability; * Home help/home support services
Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (the ‘Commission’) is an independent body which provides a free, confidential and independent service. It offers information and advice on your rights under the law, including how to complain about discrimination or harassment.
If you feel that you have been treated unfairly because of your race, age, gender reassignment (transgender), religion or belief or disability then the Commission can help you by:
- Giving general information about discrimination and harassment
- Providing guidance on what to do if you think you have been discriminated against or harassed because of one of the above grounds
- Offering support – for example by helping with writing complaint letters; explaining legal processes; referring people who need it to more specialised services such as Citizens Information Board offices etcetera; acting as an intermediary between disputants when necessary
ESA – Employers’ Social Insurance Contributions
ESA is a benefit which helps with the cost of living in Ireland. You may be eligible to claim ESA if you:
- are aged 16 or over and have an illness or disability
- were getting any benefit at the end of your last assessment period (June 2017)
- are currently working less than 16 hours a week, or only work for one employer and earn less than €116 per week. If you’re married, separated, divorced or in a civil partnership with another person who works full-time on average 30 hours or more per week then they will not get ESA unless they qualify separately as their earnings from work do not affect your eligibility for this payment
ESRI – Economic and Social Research Institute, Ireland
ESRI is a non-profit research institute whose mission is to improve the quality of life in Ireland and beyond through high quality research and its use. ESRI’s vision is to be a centre of excellence for data, analysis, ideas and policy advice that matters.
ESRI employs over 300 staff who carry out research on topics ranging from population growth to climate change impacts, poverty rates, migration trends and international trade agreements.
Fair Deal Scheme – Nursing Home Support Scheme for long-term care
The Fair Deal Scheme was introduced by the Irish Government in 2009 to help fund long-term care for people who require residential care.
The scheme operates through a national register of approved nursing homes, which are inspected and monitored by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). The HIQA inspects all nursing homes on an annual basis and publishes reports on their findings.
Eligibility criteria: You are eligible if you need nursing home care or have been diagnosed with a permanent disability or illness that means you require specialised services in a Long Term Care facility. To be eligible for long term care funding under the Fair Deal Scheme, you must be assessed by your local medical officer as being unable to live independently without assistance from others.
Family Carers Ireland
- Family Carers Ireland is a national charity providing support, information and advocacy to family carers.
- It works with the Government and other agencies to improve the lives of family carers.
- On their website, you can find out more about how to apply for funding to live in a care home.
applying for funding for residing in a care home
What Is Care Home Funding?
Care home funding is a government scheme that allows you to apply for financial assistance towards the cost of your care home accommodation. The two main schemes available are the Fair Deal Scheme and the Nursing Home Support Scheme, which will be explained in more detail below.
The main purpose of both schemes is to pay for residential care for people who need it but cannot afford it themselves. However, there are some differences between them:
- The Fair Deal Scheme only covers people who have assets of under €318,000; it also has a different eligibility criteria than the Nursing Home Support Scheme (see below)
- To qualify for Nursing Home Support Scheme you must be over 65 years old and have no capacity to work or earn money due to illness or disability
Conclusion
We hope that by reading through this blog post, you have a better understanding of the different types of funding available for elderly care in Ireland. If you have any questions or concerns about applying for funding, please feel free to contact us at any time!
