Possible Pension Cuts in Budget 2011

Earlier this month Brian Lenihan announced that he would meet with each member of the cabinet within the coming weeks to discuss the necessary cuts to expenditure which were outlined by An Board Snip and advocated by the EU. These cuts will result in €2 billion being cut from current spending and €1 billion from capital spending. Following the rejection of the Croke Park agreement these cuts are likely to come from the Departments of Education, Health and Social Welfare (Social Protection), and have caused much speculation.

Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O’Cuiv has come under much scrutiny from where the possible cuts will come from within his portfolio, which covers social welfare payments, Child Benefit and Pensions.

Pensions have arisen as the first of the contentious issues, with the minister stating that he would not rule out across the board cuts of the Pension which currently stands at a standard rate of €219 per week. He did however claim he would examine the pension payments to those whom are still in full time employment; there has also been speculation that a means test will be introduced to ensure that those in need of state assistance are not to be penalised.

Minister O’Cuiv stated that no decisions have been made at present as to where the cuts will come from within his €22 billion portfolio but that he would focus on fraudulent claims as a way of cutting back costs.

Minister O’Cuiv also hinted at what was to come in relation to social welfare payments stating that he was also concerned for the younger generations whom have children to care for and have found themselves without employment. The minster stated to look at those whom are best placed to carry the burden irrespective of age.

Proposed Pension cuts have been a controversial issue with 15,000 people marching on the Dail for the last proposed cut in the entitlements, when in 2008 the Dail proposed the introduction of a mean tested medical card for the elderly which was subsequently rejected.

　

HSE Propose New Carer Time Blocks

The HSE have announced plans to introduce guidelines which will give Carers time blocks in which to complete tasks such as showering and waking a client. These guidelines which will form part of the HSE’s proposed cut backs are aimed at helping ensure that the HSE continues to operate within its ever tightening budget restraints.

Carers will see their hours reduced from 11 to 7.5 a week and will no longer be able to provide help with cleaning and general assistance with household duties. The daily routine of a carer will now be broken in to defined time blocks with the morning routine being broken into; ten minutes to get patient up out of bed, fifteen minutes to assist showering, ten minutes for breakfast and five to change a bed, with no additional time being allocated for patients in need of additional care.

Many carers have questioned the wisdom of such cut backs stating that it will in fact add to costs in the long term with more people who are dependant on care hours forced to enter full time care facilities.

The HSE have stated that they will spend €11.98 million providing home help this year, which will provide assistance for 54,000 people.

National Positive Ageing Strategy

A series of meetings are currently being held throughout the country as part of Minster Aine O’Brady’s work to develop the National Positive Ageing Strategy.
These meetings will join organisations, agencies and individuals representing older citizens in talks for the first time with the Government. These groups will have the opportunity to discuss future government policy relating to our aging population in the aim of tackling ageism and boosting social inclusion.
At first of these meetings which has already taken place in Cork on the 4th of March, Minister O’Brady spoke about viewing an ageing population in a positive way and opportunities and challenges it offers; "The expected increase in the numbers of older people in the population in the years ahead will present great opportunities for Irish society .There will be more older people in Ireland in the future and we must take a much more positive view and grasp the many opportunities that the increase in the numbers of people aged 65 and over will present to us as a society".
The minister added that she her call for submissions from the participating groups had been very successful, with 168 submissions being received so far. The minister also highlighted her desire to hear directly from Older people themselves, to discuss the issues that they are affected by on a day to day basis.
Minister O’Brady outlined both her aims and targets for the meetings and strategy: "We want to have the best possible arrangements in place for older people. The challenge is to find ways of organising and delivering programmes and services that make them more accessible to people. But I also believe that attitudes towards older people and perceptions of ageing are also of importance. Ageism is an issue for all older people and we must work to tackle ageism as a priority."
The meetings will be taking p lace throughout Ireland in March and April, with other venues including Sligo, Limerick, Galway, Kildare, Louth and Wexford. For more information about the above locations visit the Department of Health and Children website: http://www.dohc.ie/ .

Winter Tips

It is that time of the year again where coats, wellies, and gloves are coming out in force, however as we are currently experiencing the worst recorded winter since 1981-82 we at FRS Homecare have compiled a small list of handy tips to keeping warm and safe. We hope that you will find them useful;

o Wear a Hat - the heat lost from your head can account to up to 30% of heat loss from the body.
o Dress in loose fitting, light, multi-layered clothing. Wearing mittens if possible as this creates warmth between fingers.
o Always wear a water-proof jacket or coat, and shoes, and always change wet clothes immediately to avoid illness.
o Check small children and babies often as they might not be able to tell you how cold they are.
o Replace the rubber tip at the end of canes to avoid slipping.
o Remember even light exercise in the cold burns more calories as the body fights to remain warm, so remember to take more frequent breaks and have a small snack and warm drink. When out walking or doing any exercise in the evening remember to wear reflective clothing such as a vest or arm bands to signal your presence and give motorists a chance to gain clearance. Remaining active in cold conditions is important; even completing small tasks can help warm the body.
o Set your heating to come on in the morning before you wake, and to come on again at intervals through out the day to maintain the indoor temperature. The optimum temperature level is 18-20 Celsius, if you can not afford to maintain this temperature localise the heating, and heat the rooms which you use the most. Fill the gaps in windows and doors to minimise drafts, even the use of a blanket at the bottom of a door can help keep a room warmer.
o For especially damp and cold houses considering purchasing De-humidifiers or related products to remove excess water from the air. This is especially important in a house with a recovering patient, a senior citizen or new baby.
o Spread salt or salty sand on the steps, path or even drive way of your house to avoid slipping. Salt and grit can be purchased from farm supply stores in large and reasonably priced amounts.
o Be aware that there is a fuel allowance scheme which you may be entitled to claiming, information can be found on the Citizens information website or by calling them on 1890 777 121, or at your local Social welfare office.
o Stock up on non perishables such as canned goods to ensure that you do not run out if you are unable to leave your home for a few days.
o Before leaving your home to make any trips check the relevant road authorities such as AA road watch or even local Garda to help you choose the safest route.


Finally remember to visit elderly or sick friends, family or neighbours at this time of year. In the cold weather they may not be as mobile as they once were, and will be glad of both a helping hand and friendly face. Both St Vincent De Paul and Age action have urged people to call their local offices to both offer help and to avail of their services. Their numbers are as follows;
Age Action 01- 475 69 89
St Vincent De Paul 01-838 69 90
We would also advise that if you have any health queries or are experiencing difficulties reaching services to call your local health centre, or the HSE information centre on 1850 24 1 850.
If you have any more handy tips for keeping warm and safe this winter or any queries please do not hesitate to contact us. You call us, e-mail us or leave us a comment on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Welcome to the FRS Homecare Blog

We at Frs have enjoyed thirty years in business throughout Ireland. In this time we have developed strong links and working relationships within communities. With this in mind we are now utilising both our community links and recruitment background to provide a new service, Frs Homecare.

Frs Homecare will cater for all your Homecare needs, from companionship, to specialist care. Our team consists of highly trained and Garda vetted carers who can allow you to regaining independence, over come hospital care or even help with Pre- and Post- Natal care for both you and your baby.

With regular blog updates we aim to keep you, our customers, up to date on the latest health related issues. We would also like to hear any feedback that you would like to share with us on our services or blog material.