'He's the future facing mums and dads all over Ireland': Teena Gates can't get support to bring her elderly dad home

Teena says: “I can pay privately for some extra care, along with happily caring for him myself. But they don’t think that’s quite enough to ensure his safety...I am waiting for a care package with no idea when it will materialise."

'He's the future facing mums and dads all over Ireland': Teena Gates can't get support to bring her elderly dad home

A well-known broadcaster and daughter has revealed it is proving extremely difficult to get her elderly father home from hospital despite being physically well.

Respected radio broadcaster and motivational speaker Teena Gates said her much loved father Terry Martin, 93, and her family are being pressurised to place him in a nursing home despite not wanting to.

Mr Martin now needs 24-hour-care following a fall which led to a head injury which in turn accelerated his dementia. The Dublin man turns 94 next Wednesday.

“I don’t want Dad sitting healthy but confused in a ward full of sick people looking forward only to mealtimes and sneak visits to the veranda outside his hospital window by Google his dog,” posted Tina on her Facebook page.

“I am watching his will to live drain from his mind in front of my eyes. Dad is a man who worked and paid taxes for nearly 80 years. He is a man who helped form our country, who helped pay for the education of the ministers sitting in Government today. He is the future facing mums and dads all over Ireland.”

I’d take him home from hospital in the morning - even without (a healthcare package) - but his health team says he needs 24/7 care.

Ms Gates explained that he, the family and medics want him to go home but it is just not happening due to a lack of enough adequate care packages provided by the HSE.

She also said that staff at the Woodlands Medical Unit at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin have been "wonderful and so caring”.

Terry Martin
Terry Martin

'Minister...Am I wrong in saying that we’d save you over €5,000 per week by bringing Dad home?'

“Heading into week seven in hospital for Dad who’s 94 on June 6th. His wounds have healed after his fall and he wants to go home.We want him home. His GP wants him home. The hospital wants him home. His social worker wants him home. The HSE wants him home - and according to the Minister for Health (Simon Harris), he wants him home too.

“However he needs the HSE support package which the Minister and the HSE website says is available, free, to elderly people in this country to facilitate them to live independently at home.

“I’d take him home from hospital in the morning - even without it - but his health team says he needs 24/7 care after an ‘acquired brain injury’ accelerated dementia.

“I can pay privately for some extra care, along with happily caring for him myself. But they don’t think that’s quite enough to ensure his safety at home so here I am waiting for a care package with no idea when it will materialise.

“I have felt heavy pressure from the medical profession in the past month to sign Dad into a nursing home. That’s not what he wants. It’s not what I want. It’s not going to happen.

“It’s been made clear to me that signing Dad out of hospital without a HSE home care package would make me responsible if he hurt himself - and more importantly, would drop him to the bottom of the HSE waiting list.”

500 ahead of him on the list

Ms Gates revealed that unofficially, she has been informed that there are 500 people ahead of her father, waiting for a home care package and there’s no budget available to provide for them.

“But Dad (will be) 94. We don’t have time for 499 people to die or be sent to a nursing home. We want him home now.”

She added and pointing out to Minister Harris, “that the maximum HSE support package is 21hrs a week. The Carer agency I already employ privately charges €25 per hour.

“Unofficially I’ve been told dad’s hospital bed is costing €6,000 per week. Minister, I’m open and happy to be corrected on that. Also, I’d be happy if you did the maths above - but am I wrong in saying that we’d save you over €5,000 per week by bringing Dad home?

“So why isn’t this package available to Dad? The HSE website says it is, Minister, you say it is. But the seven-week wait says it isn’t. Who is telling lies? Minister, please #BringHimHome."

Teena Gates
Teena Gates

More than 1,000 members of the public have reacted to her post with one saying, “The home care packages are there, the carers on the frontline are not. The reason being is simple, the carers are not paid enough, the ministers can say its all there but talk is cheap. As someone facing this reality daily, I really and truly hope your poor dad gets home asap. At 94 he deserves it.

“You have articulated the situation so beautifully, and I really hope you can highlight the issues of the carers for everyone waiting in hospitals across the county to get home.”

Another added: “Disgusting treatment of our older people they pulled this country up by its knees and it's the politicians taking the cream and leaving people at all ages on long waiting lists. I hope to God you get your Dad home he deserves that.”

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