HSE home help workers are at full capacity while 373 clients wait for services in Donegal, it has been revealed.
The county needs 2,682 more home help hours to meet the demand for new home support services or increases to clients’ current care packages.
East Donegal and South Donegal (including Ballyshannon and Bundoran) have the highest waiting lists with more than 100 applicants in each area.
Recruitment efforts have been hampered by the mandatory Pay & Number protocol, members of the Regional Health Forum West were told this week.
In response to questions from Independent County Councillor Declan Meehan, Ann Cosgrove, Interim CEO of Saolta, acknowledged the challenges of increasing home support hours. While 40-50 additional staff have been recruited in Donegal this year, Ms Cosgrove noted that the service is constrained by regional headcount limits.
Ms Cosgrove added: “Since July, we are curtailed in terms of the headcount for our region. The local service are looking at what they can do in the context of the workforce available to them.
“The decision to approve the filling of positions at the regional level is impacted by the pay and numbers strategy and headcount we have for 2024.”
Despite the limitations, the service is actively working to establish live panels, should the opportunity come to fill vacant positions.
Dragged from Pillar to Post
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil general election candidate Pat The Cope Gallagher has said that applicants to the Home Support Services are being dragged from pillar to post by the HSE even after receiving approval for access to the services.
Pat the Cope said urgency is needed to provide clarity to the applicants.
“Across the county I have several examples of people in serious need of home help, where they are being approved for Home Support Services but have no time frame as to when they will receive the help.”
“Constituents are being told that the budget is exhausted but will then be told they will be eligible for grants to employ someone. Where is the sense in that? There only seems to be hours available when people die.”
“The elderly person applying for home help has got to register themselves as an employer, this is the furthest thing from practical.
These are people in need of help because they are elderly, ill, or otherwise.”
“It’s an absolute contradictory to say the budget is exhausted and then being asked to apply for grants. I have already contacted Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in relation to this matter.”
“It is a matter of urgency for many constituents, and I will fight hard to find a resolution to the matter.”
