Nursing Home Support Scheme is Available to All Elderly People, Irrespective of Physical or Mental Incapacity

Only a few schemes in Ireland have reached out to the masses and proved its worth. Fair Deal Scheme is one of them. Administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland, it has been truly exceptional in its mission of providing financial support to the elderly, undergoing long term nursing home care in public, private and voluntary nursing homes. As a matter of fact, it states that almost every resident of the State can apply for it if the individual is in dire need of long-term nursing home care. But the question, which pops up in mind is - how much of it is true? After all, by ‘ordinarily resident’, it should count even those who are suffering from a mental condition. The blog here discloses the inclusivity of the scheme.

Understanding the Nursing Home Support Scheme and applying for it isn’t easy. One has to have a grip over it and minutely go through the NHSS Information Booklet to comprehend the terms and conditions accompanying the benefits. Applying for it is equally confusing and stressful. An applicant has to go through three stages, namely, the Care Needs Assessment, Financial Assessment and Ancillary State Support to finally reap the benefits in the form of long-term nursing home care. Such a lengthy procedure often causes stress in applicants, leave alone those suffering from serious physical and mental illness.

In response to it, NHSS allows the applicant to take the aid of a ‘specified person’ and act on his behalf. Wondering who can be that person? Let’s look at it.

The person acting on the applicant’s behalf can be any of the following:

• A Committee if the applicant is a ward of court.
  
  
• Someone, whom the power of attorney appoints.
  
  
• A person entitled ‘Care Representative’, who has been appointed by the court under the NHSS Act 2009.
  
  
• The applicant’s better half.
  
  
• Any of the applicant’s relatives on condition that the person is at least 18 years and over.
  
  
• Any of your friend on the condition that the person has been appointed by the court.
  
• A representative legally appointed for the purpose.
  
  
• Any of those social workers, medical practitioners or nurses.

Of them all, HSE prioritises the first three as the ‘Specified Person’ acting on a disabled applicant’s behalf. However, if any of them among ward of Court, Care Representative or a specially appointed person recommend someone in writing from the rest of the list for an elderly, then HSE shall deem it fit.

Final Thoughts:

Such is the flexibility practised at HSE in Fair Deal Scheme! Also, the inclusivity of people suffering from mental incapacity into the beneficiary list makes it an all-encompassing one. And with advisory bodies like Fair Deal Advice, helping out people planning to avail the Nursing Home Support Scheme for someone elderly in their family, long term nursing home care is neither stressful nor a financial burden today.

Fair Deal Scheme: Things to Acquaint Yourself With Before Applying for NHSS

Operated by HSE (Health Service Executive), a lot of controversies surround Fair Deal, a scheme devised to help out elderly patients in dealing with escalating nursing home costs. While some criticise and question its fairness, others contemplate the long-term benefits of it. No matter who you are among them, we are sure you have a lot of questions in mind. And the blog here addresses them all. So, if you are planning to apply for this scheme on behalf of any of your loved ones, this write-up is for you.

Facts About the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS)

There are a lot of things unknown to you, a reason why misconceptions breed and rob your loved ones of the elderly care that they truly deserve. Therefore, it’s vital to enlighten yourself about the Fair Deal Scheme and optimise it to gain the greatest benefits. Here are some things to clear out.

• An Improvement over the Subvention Scheme

Unlike the Subvention Scheme, which covered only the expenses of private nursing home care, Fair Deal includes both public and private nursing home care under its umbrella concept. Such a major inclusion, executed by HSE, along with State paying the difference between contribution and cost to care certainly makes it an attractive scheme for the elderly.

• Certain Conditions Govern it

Much like other schemes, this too entails certain eligibility criteria, two of which is to be a resident of the State and an assessment ascertaining the urgent need for long-term nursing home care. You can apply for the Nursing Home Support Scheme only if both the boxes tick.

• A 3-Step Procedure for Support

Apart from the conditions mentioned above, NHSS requires you to complete two assessments - care needs and financial. While the prior tests whether the applicant actually necessitates long-term nursing home care, the latter calculates the contribution for cost of care. There’s another step in the name of Nursing Home Loan, where HSE pays the amount on behalf of the applicant and allows the person to repay it over the years. On covering all three steps, support from the State ensues.

• NHSS has Fixed an Upper Limit on Eligible Incomes

Though there are not many limits imposed on an applicant, a threshold on eligible income entails. Keep in mind that you might not stand eligible for financial support from the State if your income exceeds the cost of care.

• Transfer or Sale of Property is Acceptable under the Scheme

Since the financial assessment is based on income and assets, a common myth surrounds the sale of properties. Applicants suffer from the misconception that transfer of property is restricted under the scheme but the same hardly holds true. The crux of the Nursing Home Loan is to repay it within six months of transfer or sale. Failing to do so might mean suffering from the burden of interest charges, starting from the date of transfer or sale.

• A Care Representative can Act on Behalf of an Elderly with Diminished Mental Capacity

The person can be the applicant’s spouse or child whose age is 18 or above. However, the aid of such a care representative, who belongs to one’s family is applicable only on stage 1 and 2. However, for the third stage, only a court-appointed representative should act on the applicant’s behalf. As for evidence of diminished mental capacity, reports from two different medical practitioners should prove so.

• Nursing Home Care only Covers Certain Expenses

The HSE agrees to cover costs for bed and board, laundry services and a few of those therapeutic activities along with aids and appliances to assist with regular activities. The rest of the costs can easily be tackled through a medical card, which most of the patients carry along with them.

Final Thoughts:

The cited facts are just a few of your queries resolved. Fair Deal is a massive concept, which takes time to understand. The application process both confuses beginners and makes them feel stressed out. Therefore, an advisory service from a professional is necessary. You can always seek it from Fair Deal Advice to receive quick grants without delay.