Mayo councillor claims nursing home expose has put 'fear of God' in elderly people

A MAYO councillor has claimed that 'the fear of God' is in some elderly people at the prospect of entering a nursing home in light of a recent RTÉ Investigates programme.

Castlebar-based Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne made the comment at a recent HSE Regional Health Forum West meeting where he bemoaned the lack of home help hours available to each patient.

In a response to questions submitted to Cllr Kilcoyne, the HSE explained that Mayo Home Support delivered 48,458 hours to 1,595 clients in April and the average home support hours per week per client in Mayo is 6.3 hours. The HSE also revealed that the Mayo home support waiting list at the end of April was 245.

Cllr Kilcoyne described the average home help time given to each client as being low and felt that the waiting list was very serious.

“Many of these people will end up in nursing homes if there is no home help available to them because some of them are living on their own or living with a person who is not able to assist them. Ultimately if people have to go into a nursing home it will cost more money than the home help costs. I am disappointed with the number of people still on the waiting list and how do you propose to deal with this,” he asked the senior health officials at the meeting.

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Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer with HSE West and North West replied that while there are people on waiting lists, he pointed out that they are 'exceeding the service plan commitment' in terms of home help hours and providing 'slightly more than what we were funded for'.

“It reflects the growing need in the community and it is important we are able to offer a range of services particularly for other people so the options available to them when they become unwell,” he said adding they will be seeking extra funding in 2026.

Ann Cosgrove, the Integrated Health Area Manager added that recruiting people to provide home help is difficult but it was not unique to Mayo.

Cllr Kilcoyne replied that he hopes extra funding becomes available because it was more well spent and the service is appreciated by elderly people and their families.

“It is money well spent and money the public and particularly the people being looked after are very grateful for it. We hear it ourselves how grateful they are,” he said.

A recent RTÉ Investigates programme uncovered multiple examples of care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at two nursing homes run by a private company.

Cllr Kilcoyne agreed with Mr Canavan that most people want to remain at home 'for as long as possible and practicable'.

“After the recent [RTÉ] television programme... I am not saying every place is like that but the fear of God is in some of them,” concluded Cllr Kilcoyne.