The government has been accused of “failing older people” as records show that almost 300 people in Donegal are on the waiting list for home help.
Figures released by the HSE show that 630,707 hours of home help were provided in the county in between January and October 2019.
There were 286 people waiting on home support packages in Donegal.
“The situation is ridiculous,” says Donegal TD Pearse Doherty.
Deputy Doherty said: “The government have had a freeze on home help hours since last year and as a result the waiting list for home help has exploded. This is especially true in Donegal where there are 286 people on the waiting list.
“The situation is ridiculous – we have people entitled to home help not getting their hours, we have a postcode lottery for who can and cannot get care, and we the government wasting huge sums of money on private home help providers instead of having a working public home help system.
“Donegal has a huge home help waiting list and to tackle this our communities should be getting targeted investment of home help hours.”
The Sinn Féin TD called for immediate action to ensure that people across Donegal can access appropriate care and stay at home or return home.
“This will have huge benefits for those who receive home help and home care, their families and friends, and for the health service as a whole as it will free up beds which are occupied by those who want to, and are ready to, return home,” Deputy Doherty concluded.
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