Nursing home no 'fair deal' says Laois Fine Gael councillor

A Laois councillor has complained that farmers in nursing homes who leased out their land are being "saddled with huge bills".

Fine Gael Cllr Conor Bergin wants the Health Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill to change an "anomaly" in the HSE's Fair Deal nursing home scheme which requires residents to pay part of their costs while the state pays the rest.

He tabled a motion to the May meeting of Laois County Council, asking it to call on the Minister to alter the scheme "to ensure that long term leased land is recognised as part of an actively farmed holding for the purposes of the three year asset cap".

"There was a headline (in national media) that said up to 80% of assets including land and buildings can be taken.  

"Farmland in Laois is particularly valuable. It's worth up to €14,000 an acre. People pay huge fees to go into nursing homes. It could cost them €120,000 a year. They can be saddled with huge bills. It is an anomaly that leased land isn't included.

"The state is encouraging people to lease land and keep it actively farmed but they don't include it in the CAP payments.

"Nursing homes cost up to €1400 a week. You can pay 7.5% upfront from your estate but people can end up with a huge bill to the HSE or state. It is very different to having cash in the bank. This is something that the Minister needs to look at. It needs to be changed," Cllr Bergin said.

His Fine Gael party colleague and Laois County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Paddy Buggy seconded the motion.

"The age profile is very high. A lot of single men end up in nursing homes who have leased their land out. Farmers and small businesses seem to be penalised more under the Fair Deal Scheme than any other. Having €500,000 on paper doesn't mean you have it in the bank. 

"We just mind the land, improve it a bit. Most farmers are struggling. Most have to have a small job on the side. But unfortunately many farmers are being treated under the fair deal scheme. As the Aborigines say the land doesn't belong to us, we belong to it," he said.

Cllr Aisling Moran also supports the motion.

"If I was renting a house and had no assets, it would cost me nothing, only my pension. If you have assets, they take them, that's wrong. The winners are the HSE," she said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley too supports the call.

"It's not just the HSE, a lot of nursing home prices are going up but the level of care is not the same. 80% of your income is taken there as well. We need a response from Government to ensure supports for people trying to keep living at home. It's a sad day when you work all your life then you hand over your property to move into a nursing home," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

Read also: HIQA has power to close Portlaoise nursing home breaching regulations

The HSE explain payments in the Fair Deal scheme. They say single people will pay 80% of their assessable income, 7.5% of  cash assets such as savings, stocks and shares, and 7.5% of non-cash assets such as land or property.

Rental income from the person's own home is exempt, as is the first €36,000 of assets. The home is only included in the financial assessment for the first 3 years of being in a nursing home, so payments are capped at 22.5% of the value of the home. The '3-year cap' can also apply to the farm or business.