Latest news with #Long-TermResidentialCareAdditionalCapacityPlan


Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Nursing home crisis looms as one in five will be over 65 by 2040
One in five people in Ireland will be aged 65 or older in just 15 years, creating a looming increased demand for nursing- home beds and home supports, even if more citizens enjoy healthy ageing, according to a report published today. An analysis by the ESRI said long-term residential care beds and home-support hours provided to the older population will need to increase by at least 60pc by 2040. By then, 21pc of people will be aged 65 or older and the population aged 85 and over will more than double. It said that in 2022, there were an estimated combined 33,324 short-stay and long-stay beds in nursing homes, including those used temporarily after hospital discharge and rehabilitation. Around seven in eight people are in for long-stay care, mostly supported by the Fair Deal scheme. Short-stay bed requirements are projected to grow from 3,745 in 2022, to between 6,430 and 7,265 by 2040. Long-stay bed demands could need to rise from 29,579 in 2022 to between 47,590 and 53,270 by 2040. And home-support hours may need to rise from 28.7 million annually in 2022 to between 44.9 million and 54.9 million by 2040. Healthy ageing could reduce the extent of the need for nursing-home beds, along with expanding home-support services. However, the substantial impact of increases in the number of older people in Ireland will offset much of the potential easing of the situation that having more people living in good health in older years will bring. Senior research officer at the ESRI and lead author of the report, Dr Brendan Walsh, said: 'Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy in recent decades. This means there is, and will be, a much larger population at older ages who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities.' ADVERTISEMENT Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the research will 'help us plan better'. She said the Programme for Government pledges to build more public nursing-home beds, create a home care scheme to help people stay in their homes longer, and increase home-care hours. 'We are already making progress in increasing both residential care capacity and home-support hours for our older population,' she said. 'This is shown by the €4m allocated in Budget 2025 to staff and opening of 615 new community beds. 'The Department of Health and the HSE are also working on a new Long-Term Residential Care Additional Capacity Plan, to be published in 2025. 'This capacity review, commissioned by the Department of Health and the HSE, shows our commitment to planning based on evidence. 'With the Hippocrates Projection Model and our ongoing work with the ESRI, we can adapt our plans to new data and policies as they come up.' Junior minister for older people Kieran O'Donnell said that the ESRI research would be 'invaluable' for capacity planning for residential care and home support. 'It is evident that significant action will be required by Government in order to ensure that the appropriate care services are available for our older population and to deliver on Programme for Government, Sláintecare and Project Ireland 2040 commitments,' Mr O'Donnell said.

The Journal
3 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Ageing population means Ireland will need around 50,000 long-term beds by 2040
THE NUMBER OF long-term residential care beds and home supports for older people will need to increase by at least 60% by 2040, according to research. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found the number of people aged 85 and over, who use a substantial amount of long-term residential care and home support, is projected to more than double in the coming years. The ESRI published a report today into long-term residential care (LTRC), research which was funded by the Department of Health. The research found that by 2040, one in five people in Ireland will be aged over 65. In 2022, there was an estimated combined 33,324 short-stay and long-stay beds in LTRC homes. Short-stay bed requirements are projected to grow from 3,745 beds in 2022 to between 6,430 and 7,265 beds by 2040, growth of 72% to 94%. Long-stay bed requirements are projected to grow from 29,579 beds in 2022 to 47,590-53,270 by 2040, growth of 61%-80%. Almost 29 million home support hours were provided to the older population in 2022, with three-quarters of these hours provided through the HSE's home support service and a quarter privately purchased. Requested home support hours are projected to grow from 28.7 million annually in 2022 to between 44.9 million and 54.9 million annually by 2040, growth of 57% to 91%. The ESRI said although healthy ageing effects may reduce future requirements, the substantial impact of increases in the older population will offset much of any potential moderations. Advertisement Lead author of the report Dr Brendan Walsh said: 'Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy in recent decades, driven mainly by reductions in mortality at older ages. 'This means there is, and will be, a much larger population at older ages who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities. 'Therefore, plans and policies are needed for long-term care to ensure the health system is in a position to meet the increasing care needs of the older population. Our findings provide policymakers with an important evidence base to help develop these plans and policies.' Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the research will 'help us plan better'. She said the Programme for Government pledges to build more public nursing home beds, create a homecare scheme to help people stay in their homes longer, and increase home care hours. 'We are already making progress in increasing both residential care capacity and home support hours for our older population. This is shown by the €4 million allocated in Budget 2025 to staff and open 615 new community beds. 'The Department of Health and the HSE are also working on a new Long-Term Residential Care Additional Capacity Plan, to be published in 2025. 'This capacity review, commissioned by the Department of Health and the HSE, shows our commitment to planning based on evidence. With the Hippocrates Projection Model and our ongoing work with the ESRI, we can adapt our plans to new data and policies as they come up.' Minister of State Kieran O'Donnell, who has responsibility for housing and older people, said the ESRI research would be 'invaluable' for capacity planning for residential care and home support. 'It is evident that significant action will be required by Government in order to ensure that the appropriate care services are available for our older population and to deliver on Programme for Government, Slaintecare, and Project Ireland 2040 commitments. 'I am absolutely committed to ensuring that this capacity planning is advanced in 2025.'


Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Healthy ageing not enough to dampen looming demand for nursing-home care, new report warns
One in five people in Ireland will be aged 65 or older in just 15 years, creating a looming increased demand for nursing- home beds and home supports, even if more citizens enjoy healthy ageing, according to a report published today. An analysis by the ESRI said long-term residential care beds and home-support hours provided to the older population will need to increase by at least 60pc by 2040. By then, 21pc of people will be aged 65 or older and the population aged 85 and over will more than double. It said that in 2022, there were an estimated combined 33,324 short-stay and long-stay beds in nursing homes, including those used temporarily after hospital discharge and rehabilitation. Around seven in eight people are in for long-stay care, mostly supported by the Fair Deal scheme. Short-stay bed requirements are projected to grow from 3,745 in 2022, to between 6,430 and 7,265 by 2040. Long-stay bed demands could need to rise from 29,579 in 2022 to between 47,590 and 53,270 by 2040. And home-support hours may need to rise from 28.7 million annually in 2022 to between 44.9 million and 54.9 million by 2040. Healthy ageing could reduce the extent of the need for nursing-home beds, along with expanding home-support services. However, the substantial impact of increases in the number of older people in Ireland will offset much of the potential easing of the situation that having more people living in good health in older years will bring. Senior research officer at the ESRI and lead author of the report, Dr Brendan Walsh, said: 'Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy in recent decades. This means there is, and will be, a much larger population at older ages who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities.' Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the research will 'help us plan better'. She said the Programme for Government pledges to build more public nursing-home beds, create a home care scheme to help people stay in their homes longer, and increase home-care hours. 'We are already making progress in increasing both residential care capacity and home-support hours for our older population,' she said. 'This is shown by the €4m allocated in Budget 2025 to staff and opening of 615 new community beds. 'The Department of Health and the HSE are also working on a new Long-Term Residential Care Additional Capacity Plan, to be published in 2025. 'This capacity review, commissioned by the Department of Health and the HSE, shows our commitment to planning based on evidence. 'With the Hippocrates Projection Model and our ongoing work with the ESRI, we can adapt our plans to new data and policies as they come up.' Junior minister for older people Kieran O'Donnell said that the ESRI research would be 'invaluable' for capacity planning for residential care and home support. 'It is evident that significant action will be required by Government in order to ensure that the appropriate care services are available for our older population and to deliver on Programme for Government, Sláintecare and Project Ireland 2040 commitments,' Mr O'Donnell said.


Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Surge in older population poses major funding challenge for Ireland, ESRI warns
A phenomenal rise in the number of older people in Ireland has left the Government facing a major funding challenge to provide long-term nursing home beds and home help hours, research has found. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) said the number of long-term residential care beds and home supports for older people will need to increase by at least 60% by 2040 to meet demand. It found that long-stay bed requirements will grow from 29,579 beds in 2022 to between 47,590 and 53,270 beds by 2040, a growth of between 61% to 80%. Furthermore, short-stay beds may need to rise from 3,745 in 2022 to as high as 7,265, which would be an increase of 94%. Home help hours, meanwhile, are projected to grow from 28.7m hours annually to up to 54.9m annually by 2040, a growth of up to 91%. ESRI senior research officer Brendan Walsh: 'Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy' which means there will be a much larger population 'who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities.' Picture: ESRI The steep rise in demand is being driven by the steady increase in the size of the older population, according to the ESRI. By 2040, one in five people in Ireland will be over the age of 65. The population aged 85 and over, who use a large proportion of nursing home beds and home support, will be more than double what it is now. ESRI senior research officer Brendan Walsh said: 'Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy in recent decades, driven mainly by reductions in mortality at older ages. This means there is, and will be, a much larger population at older ages who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities. 'Therefore, plans and policies are needed for long-term care to ensure the health system is in a position to meet the increasing care needs of the older population. Our findings provide policymakers with an important evidence base to help develop these plans and policies.' The research body said that healthier ageing in future may reduce the requirements for long-term beds while the expansion of home support services could also be of benefit. However, the sheer numbers of people who will be aged 65 and over who require such care may offset these changes. Regional projections of where services will be needed must also be prepared, the research said. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the programme for government pledges to build more public nursing home beds, create a homecare scheme to help people stay in their homes longer, and increase home care hours. She said: We are already making progress in increasing both residential care capacity and home support hours for our older population. "This is shown by the €4m allocated in Budget 2025 to staff and open 615 new community beds. 'The Department of Health and the HSE are also working on a new Long-Term Residential Care Additional Capacity Plan, to be published in 2025.' Minister of state Kieran O'Donnell, who has responsibility for housing and older people, said that the ESRI research would be 'invaluable' for capacity planning for residential care and home support. 'It is evident that significant action will be required by Government in order to ensure that the appropriate care services are available for our older population and to deliver on programme for government, Sláintecare, and Project Ireland 2040 commitments,' said Mr O'Donnell. 'I am absolutely committed to ensuring that this capacity planning is advanced in 2025.'