A major crisis in the nursing home sector is looming, it has been claimed.

According to Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), which represents both private and voluntary nursing homes, media reports have suggested that by the end of 2013, some 2,000 people will be waiting for nursing home places under the Government's Fair Deal scheme.

Furthermore, the waiting time for funding approval for a place under this scheme is expected to rise to 17 weeks. Currently, the waiting time is around six weeks.

With this scheme, nursing home fees are paid from 80% of the resident's weekly income (pension). This is then boosted by a levy on the value of that resident's estate after their death. This levy will not exceed 15% of the home's value.

The change is due to plans by the Department of Health to use Fair Deal ‘to prioritise older persons within the acute hospital sector above those within community settings'. At the moment, the scheme is run on a first come, first served basis.

"We now have a very serious crisis because the State is neglecting its responsibility to ensure older persons are provided with the necessary and required support to allow them avail of the specialist care provided by nursing homes," insisted NHI CEO, Tadhg Daly.

He said that this move by the department will have ‘significant implications for older persons within community settings'.

It can have a seriously detrimental impact upon their physical and mental health wellbeing. We cannot allow older persons and their relatives to suffer more undue and unnecessary pain and distress," Mr Daly said.

He emphasised that there is now an ‘urgent requirement to bring stakeholders around the table to plan for the growing demand for nursing home care'.

"A crisis of significant magnitude is impending. The warnings cannot continuously be ignored. The Department of Health must plan and act decisively,' he added.