Nearly 5,000 elderly people left without a carer due to staffing crisis
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Nearly 5,000 elderly people are without a carer to assist them in their own homes because of a chronic staff shortage in the sector.
The staffing crisis has seen the waiting list for a carer jump from 1,375 people at the start of the pandemic to 4,787 now, the HSE said.
While all 4,787 have been granted funding for the homecare package, both the HSE and private homecare providers under contract with the State are unable to recruit sufficient numbers of staff. By contrast, there are 273 people waiting for funding, HSE chief operations officer Anne O’Connor told the :
“We have some areas that are very, very hampered now in terms of being able to attract carers,” Ms O’Connor said.
Recruitment campaigns are taking place across Munster and other areas but Ms O’Connor said in many cases this is simply resulting in staff from private companies switching to work for the HSE.
Families can hire private companies directly but in many areas a HSE care package is delivered by a private company under contract to the HSE and the salary and other conditions offered by the HSE are often more attractive to workers.
“The challenge is that people are trying to move into HSE caring roles from the private sector and from private nursing homes,” she said. “In the round, that doesn’t really help us; we end up with challenges then in our [private] nursing homes.
“We have to be careful we are not taking many people away. Obviously, people are entitled to apply for jobs wherever they want but the overall picture of caring in Ireland is still very, very challenging.”
In December, the number of people waiting for a carer rose to 5,322. While this fell slightly in January, Ms O’Connor said the numbers are rising again. Last week she held discussions with HSE managers responsible for homecare around the country, who all reported “significant challenges”.
Rising Covid-19 cases are adding to the staffing crisis, as carers who test positive or are close contacts cannot go into a vulnerable person’s home, with some companies unable to find substitutes.
Home support is mainly offered to elderly people who need help for a few hours but do not require fulltime care. Hours may also be offered to people who have had surgery and need help during recovery.
Ms O’Connor said the carer shortage is leaving a growing number of people stuck in hospital on “delayed discharge”. There are 578 patients in this situation, up from 496 at the end of 2021.
Joseph Musgrave, CEO of representative body Home and Community Care Ireland, said recruitment challenges have “worsened” in the last two years despite increases in funding.
Nat O’Connor of Age Action called for “decent working conditions” to make the sector more attractive.
“This will be a problem as we move forward unless care jobs come with decent pay and conditions, commensurate with the significant value of care work, as well as the opportunities people need for training and career progression,” he told the Oireachtas health committee recently.