Home helps have role in solving hospital overcrowding

The HSE could alleviate the overcrowding problem at the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar by giving local home help workers more hours, according to the trade union, SIPTU.

A number of local home helps held what the union described as a “Ready To Work” protest outside the hospital last Thursday afternoon, to show their solidarity with the staff there and to highlight the role they could play in solving the ongoing overcrowding difficulties in Mullingar, and around the country.

“There are people being held in the hospital because the HSE are maintaining that there is no one to look after when they do go home,” carer Gertrude Fitzgerald from Kilbeggan told the Westmeath Examiner.

“A lot of people in hospitals don’t need to go to nursing homes – they are well able to be released to their own homes. There are loads of home helps out there and we are all available to work and looking for work – looking for extra hours.”

Ms Fitzgerald said that most home helps in Westmeath have had their hours cut in recent months, at a time when their services are needed more than ever.

“A lot of people are waiting to go home and are taking up beds, and because they are taking up the beds, there is a backlog in A&Es. If those people were able to go home, and not to nursing homes, it would an awful lot cheaper for the HSE. It would save them millions,” Ms Fitzgerald said. “It would also be much better for the patients. At the end of the day, they are the number one priority. If they are at home in their own environment, they will be better quicker.”

Home help hours have been reduced by 28% since 2008, according to SIPTU official Anne Craughwell. She says that it is in the HSE’s long-term interest to increase funding for the home help sector.

“Home helps look after older people; older people want to be in their homes and looked after in their homes. The overcrowding in the hospital... well, a lot of older people are ready to go home but there is no structure in place, not enough hours, not enough home helps. We are looking for more funding to be put into the service.

“Home helps are value for money. They do a fantastic job and have great relationships with these older people. It would remedy the problem. Certainly there are other issues going on in the hospital, but with the regards the discharge of patients, it would alleviate the issue there,” she said.