HSE confirms Leitrim nursing home admissions not prioritised by local residency

It was confirmed that admission to nursing homes in Leitrim is not based on local residency but on availability and care needs.

At a recent meeting of the Northwest Regional Health Forum, Cllr Ita Reynolds-Flynn queried how patients are allocated to nursing homes in Ballinamore and Carrick-on-Shannon, as people from outside the allocated areas have been admitted to Ballinamore and St Patrick’s Hospital.

A response to the motion by John Fitzmaurice, Integrated Health Area Manager for Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan, explained that patients are not assigned to nursing homes in Ballinamore or Carrick-on-Shannon based on geographic area but instead that placements depend on care needs, availability of beds, assessments, and family choice consisting of up to three preferred homes.

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Recommendations can also be made for older persons for long-term care from sources such as Sligo University Hospital and general practitioners, but it is the older person’s next of kin who officially places their name on the waiting list.

The Person in Charge of a residential facility completes a pre-admission assessment, to determine whether or not the facility can meet an older person’s individual needs.

An older person can also temporarily reside in an alternative facility until one of their preferred residential facilities can accommodate them.

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The response further explained that a national bed management system is used to monitor availability and support timely placement in community nursing units, and that nursing home beds may be prioritised for vulnerable older people at risk of hospital admission or those ready for discharge from acute hospitals.