Election candidates out canvassing across the north west region are repeatedly hearing about the difficulties of people in obtaining home help and home care for themselves or their elderly relatives.
Earlier this week, the issue arose at a meeting of Leitrim County Council; yesterday it was raised at a meeting of Sligo County Council.
Sligo councillors yesterday agreed to a motion from Councillor Michael Clarke calling on the council to contact the HSE and Minister for Health to address the issue.
Cllr Clarke said it was a matter of urgency because of, what he described as, the ‘severe shortage’ of homecare hours to support people who want to stay in their own homes.
He gave two examples of cases where home care hours had been reduced.
One involved a 77-year old man who had to be hoisted out of bed every morning by his 74-year old wife with the help of a carer.
The carer came back at night to help put the man to bed.
Another was a case of a woman with a tremor in her hand who couldn’t cook and whose carer hours were reduced.
Afterward, when she first tried to cook, a dish fell and hurt her foot, resulting in her having to go to hospital.
Cllr Clarke said some families are in ‘an awful state’ in their struggle to care for their relatives and it was very emotional for them.
Other councillors said they were also hearing similar stories on the doorsteps.
One told how they were shown letters from the HSE saying home help hours had been approved for an applicant but because of the shortage of funding, the service could not be provided.
Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Martin Baker said a double insult was where people were not given the service but were provided with a list of private carers to call.
Afterward, Cllr Clarke told Ocean FM News why he raised the issue at yesterday’s council meeting.
