Patients together meeting Minister

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Tue May 31, 2005 22:05

Hello

I greatly admire your initiative to form Patients together,

How did you get on with the Minister of Health?

No doubt you are aware of the Prime Time Special last night and the Joe Duffy show today.

I would like to suggest that the elderly people who are sent to the Nursing Homes be included under your Umbrella. I fear a situation that appears to be arising with people with disabilities of 'too many chiefs and not enought indians'.

An effective health service incorporates all. We need to determine how much Government is actually prepared to contribute to our hospitals, staff, GP, District nurse service and related services.

I would suggest that the Tax Breaks introduced several years ago are attractiving investors as distinct from medical people to invest in nursing homes (often greenfield sites). We must understand if this is the case, there is a clear motive for investors and that is Profit. Profit is about accounting a not necessarily caring. (Why, if tax breaks are to be given, are they not to assist family members to take time off work, or pay for care in the community with links to days centres/libraries or whatever). The Community Care schemes (which as far as I am aware of, Minister Harney decided to come back on......would be an ideal care for elderly centre in a local community. Care homes really ought to be a last resort.

Medications are also about money and please recall, for the first time ever, most elderly people have financial assets and once people are sent to the Care Homes and those funds are used. People need to alert themselves to the whole issue of health, profit, and infinite market. We must ensure that as people become elderly that we aid them to engage in as many rehabilitative practices as possible.

Those who to date have benefitted from the tax breaks sure have indentified their markets.......Now it is up to people to be the Watchdogs of our communities......

If there is a nursing home near you perhaps it is a good idea to volunteer to help out or just even be a watchful eye, within one's community.

Quotation:

Gandhi
'You have to be the change you want to see.

Beware of the Privatization of Medicine. Or at Least just be aware about the motivation factor ..... Also consider the profits and tax breaks. What country does this money go to next? Greed perpetrates a sector in the Irish market......and loopholes like 'No Kitchen' in what could only be described as a D4 mansion allow them to be excluded from the tax net....Is this equitable? After all the 1980's was a time of really horrific recession!!!

One more point:

I read recently in the Economist!! that the Americans have adopted the novel approach of taking cruises throughout the year....yes, it is a cheaper option that the Care Home.
Note Ireland expects nearly 50,000 tourists due to Cruise Ships entering Dublin Bay again, this year......It is worth always keeping abreast of current trends......and questioning tax breaks!!!!


Goodnight


Michelle

by Janette Byrne - Patients together Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:07 085 7302798

Response to Michelle
Sorry Michelle only just getting to read you comment now .Please see our website www.patientstogether.com it might give you a better insight to Patients together.
We will be posting a report on our meeting with Harney there shortly.
Thanks again for your support we need as much as possible.
Regards Janette