Clampdown on nursing homes charging elderly patients ‘top-up’ fees
NURSING homes in Kilkenny and across the country will have to abide by a new set of rules to protect elderly patients from being charged punitive top-up fees.
It comes after a watchdog investigation revealed elderly residents in some nursing homes are being taken advantage of.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) today launched the first legally binding guidelines for contracts of care in nursing homes.
It says the contracts must be “in plain language” with no hidden “small print”, clearly telling the resident what charges are mandatory and which are optional.
Extra fees charged by nursing homes have added hugely to some families’ costs. They include bills for social activities, therapies and other services not covered by the Fair Deal scheme.
