400 nursing homes receive €9.5 million in funding payments under the Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement Scheme
- €10 million Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement Scheme assisted nursing homes to improve regulatory compliance with infection prevention and fire safety
- Approximately €9.5 million has been paid to circa 400 nursing homes
- 85% of applicants availed of the full €25,000 which was available to each qualifying nursing home for eligible works under the scheme
Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, is very pleased with the level of participation in the Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement Scheme (RSI).
Nursing homes which had carried out structural works covered under the Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement Scheme could claim the cost of these works if they were carried out from 1 January 2020 to the 15 November 2024 subject to fulfilling the application criteria.
With the aim of improving infection prevention and fire safety in private and voluntary nursing homes, up to €25,000 was available to each qualifying nursing home for structural works to improve compliance with the standards published by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in relation to fire precautions and infection control.
Minister Butler said:
“It is satisfying to see that around 400 nursing homes across all counties have benefitted from the Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement Scheme and, to-date, payments totalling approximately €9.5 million have been paid.
“The scheme was designed to support private and voluntary nursing homes to improve infection prevention and fire safety and meet compliance with regulations. I am aware that carrying out works to meet compliance can prove costly for nursing homes, especially for smaller, voluntary and older nursing homes and the aim of this scheme was to alleviate some of the financial pressures involved. I am delighted to see that around 85% of applicants have availed of the full €25,000 available to each qualifying nursing home for eligible works. I would like to thank colleagues in the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) for their work on this scheme.
“My priority is always the health, safety and wellbeing of residents. It is important that older people and their families are reassured that our long-term residential care facilities meet the highest possible standards.”