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The Health Department announced funding to improve and create additional safe visiting spaces in nursing homes.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Senior Minister Mary Butler say the funds will help facilitate visits during the winter and Christmas period.
The Temporary Assistance Payment Plan (TAPS) has been expanded in a timely manner to allow a claim of up to € 2,500 per eligible nursing home.
The fund will allow providers to create additional secure visiting spaces and enhance existing visiting spaces.
Yesterday the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) wrote to Mr Donnelly, describing the current restrictions as a “continuing infringement” of residents’ rights to family life.
He said that the Government had not invested in visiting spaces to promote frequent and safe visits and accused him of not recognizing the safeguarding risks posed by the limitation of family visits.
Social workers who have been on the front lines of the pandemic said that despite low transmission rates in the community, there was “clear evidence of the damaging impact of separation on both residents and families and the vital role that families play in monitoring and reporting residents’ experiences of poor quality, care, neglect or abuse. “
The letter noted that the current nursing home guide proposes one of the lowest levels of indoor visitation in Europe.
He said the Welsh government announced 3 million euros in funds for visitor groups to facilitate regular visits, as an interim measure, pending long-term investment in support of visits.
Here, 134.5 million euros have been made available to the TAPS scheme for 2020 and 2021, according to the Department of Health.
The scheme allows nursing homes to fund infection testing, prevention and control, providing PPE and staff. The last funds will go to visiting spaces.
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In a statement, the Health Department said open-air and window visits provided “a valuable addition” to properly managed indoor visits; however, he acknowledged that outdoor options, including window tours, were becoming more challenging in winter.
He said that some nursing homes had begun taking “creative steps” to develop safe and comfortable indoor and outdoor spaces to address challenges.
He urged nursing home providers to continue to provide and invest in such measures.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Prime Time earlier this month, Senior Minister Mary Butler said a great deal of work had been done to make nursing homes safer through testing, prevention and control of infections and supply of PPE.
While he did not address the issue of investing in visitor spaces, he said the latest restrictions on nursing homes “is the right step.”
IASW said families have highlighted multiple examples of arbitrary non-compliance with the new guidance.
He said the government has not clarified the consequences if a service provider does not comply with the guide.
Concerns about the current restrictions extend beyond social workers.
In Waterford, Bernadette Philips, who ran as an Independent in the last General Election, has been campaigning for families of nursing home residents to have the same status as care workers to test and allow more visitation.
He said the interpretation of the new guidelines for nursing home visits varies.
Ms. Philips said: “Some only allow 15 or 30 minutes, others an hour. Also, not all nursing homes allow indoor visiting. It is a human rights issue.”
In its letter to Minister Donnelly, the IASW also expressed concern about the absence of social work protection experts reporting to the HSPC or NPHET to date.
He said: “Although social work was identified as an essential service in the Report of the Expert Panel on Nursing Homes and the IASW’s repeated efforts to collaborate with the Department of Health, the consultation has not taken place.”
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