Action is being urged to prevent more nursing home closures.
An ESRI report shows 50 homes closed down nationwide and two closed here in Wexford between 2018 and 2020 with providers blaming staffing difficulties and financial viability.
Tadhg Daly is the CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland and says he can’t see 2024 being much better for the people he represents:
“Confidence is seeping away from the sector and while there is some development – in reality I’m hearing from members that no new development or additional capacity will be provided in the current funding climate.”
The loss of 49 beds in the County in the last three years has had detrimental effect as Wexford has one of the largest ageing populations in the Country.
Following ongoing protests in Rosslare to ensure that plans for a new nursing home go ahead on the site of the former Great Southern Hotel, the lack of nursing home care in the County has been highlighted.
Mr Daly went on to state:
“People have lived in that part of the County, they have grown up there and raised their families there. What we need to do is ensure that we have a policy that supports ageing in place so that people can age in their local areas.”
