While Nursing Home Care is quintessential for individuals
afflicted with Dementia, to get a grant under the Fair Deal Scheme can get
complicated without proper guidance. What is more important to know that there
is special aid available in Ireland, for people with dementia to get quality
nursing home care or residential care. Here are some guidelines.
Dementia is not a disease, it is a group of symptoms of
diseases like Alzheimer’s, and categorically signifies the conditions in which
a person has at least 2 impairments of the brain, causing functional disorders.
Forgetfulness or short term memory loss are mostly known by general people but
are other symptoms that fall under Dementia, including cognitive, behavioural
as well as psychological problems such as hallucinating, heightened confusion
in recognising common things or family members, and even have muscular
instability causing involuntary or aimless movements, or losing directions
while walking.
The progression of such symptoms makes long-term nursing home
care more practical over home care. It is indeed a hard decision to make for a
loved one, either children or a spouse. But sometimes it is for the better for
the person with dementia.
But should the process work, if a person is not capable to make
a decision? Is it legally permissible to make a decision on behalf of a family
member, distant relative or friend?
Fair Deal Scheme Ireland For Dementia
The Fair Deal Scheme allows family members, relatives and close
friends to place a person with Dementia to Nursing Home Care. However, in order
to get through this, they need to undergo a Health Assessment under the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE is the Government organisation that is
responsible for giving away the Fair Deal grants.
Dementia appears differently in different people, and it is
also can be associated with different diseases. Sometimes, individuals with
early signs of Dementia are reluctant to have it in their medical history, but
when these symptoms progress with the onset of diseases, it is better to make a
decision soon.
The Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 gives people
with dementia to express their wishes regarding whether they want to be placed
in care or not. But otherwise, under the scheme, it is possible to have someone
placed into nursing home care without their consent, only when they don’t have
the capacity to do so.
Why The Fair Deal Scheme?
Nursing Home Support is highly expensive in Ireland, and loved
ones are often in turmoil to make a decision. The feelings of loss, or anxiety
that a beloved relative will forget about the other after they going away, all
these things point out that the placement of a person to nursing home care
comes with a lot of backstories, and emotional consequences.
First of all, the Fair Deal grant makes it more affordable for
individuals with limited financial or personal assets to get long-term nursing
home support. And secondly, it is probable and easier to review nursing homes
and make a decision that suits all your needs.
The scheme is not free of cost, instead the individuals need to
pay to contribute for the cost of care, which is 80% of cash assets, including
savings, or pension, plus, 22.5% of non-assets, such as a house, farm, stocks,
shares or a shop.
But the scheme is designed in a way that it should not take
everything that you have and that individuals do not need to pay more than they
get. Under the scheme, the first €36,000 is exempted from assets. And in case
the individual applying for the scheme is a member of a couple, they can get an
exemption of up to €72,000.
Moreover, with the implementation of the Nursing Home LoanScheme, families can even delay the payment of the cost of care, until after
the lifetime of the individual, by mortgaging their asset, like the house,
farm, etc.
Ideally, such a scheme is not meant for everyone at ease, it
may be the most significant for someone who has a pension and no house, and
needs quality nursing home care within a budget.
The Role Of A Next Friend
A ‘next friend’ is someone identified by the legal system of
the Irish Government who can execute the nursing home placement formalities on
behalf of a person who is incapable of doing so on their own, notable people
with Dementia. While this position is best fulfilled by immediate family
members or even distant relatives, if there is a lack of both, there are legal
bodies who extend the help.
