In this report the Home Care Coalition detail their budget requests for 2024. The Home Care Coalition, a collective of 23 charities, not-for-profit organisations, and campaigners, advocates for a well-funded, rights-based, and person-centred statutory home care scheme with equal access across the country.
In this report, the coalition calls for an investment of €1.05 billion to ensure sustainable and viable home support services. This figure accounts for a projected 31.8% increase in demand and additional costs due to inflation and improved worker pay. The document highlights the detrimental impact of the staffing crisis on home support services and outlines how it affects the quality of life for older people, those with disabilities and older people with disabilities. The ageing population and rising number of individuals with disabilities heighten the demand for home support services.
Sláintecare’s vision aims to develop new models of care that help individuals stay healthy within their homes and communities for as long as possible, delaying or preventing the need for long-term residential care. However, without significant investment, more people will be left without essential support, increasing pressure on acute hospital services and putting smaller not-for-profit agencies at risk of closure, ultimately undermining service quality.
Despite recent funding increases, the report notes that meeting the 2023 target of 24.26 million hours of support has been difficult due to ongoing recruitment challenges and a reduction in home support hours. The coalition calls for Budget 2024 to prioritize sustainable home support services, fair wages for workers, and standardised rates across all funding sources.
Additionally, the report stresses the need for further funding to implement recommendations from the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group. These include national recruitment campaigns, European-level events, a medium-term recruitment strategy, and ICT solutions to improve service efficiency. Without these measures, the quality of support for older adults and people with disabilities will deteriorate. The Home Care Coalition underscores the urgency of increased funding to ensure the delivery of vital care, support workforce recruitment and retention, and meet new statutory regulations.
