RTE Prime Time viewers react after ‘terrifying’ episode

RTE Prime Time viewers were left fuming after Thursday night’s episode explored the homecare crisis in Ireland.

The lack of home carers has resulted in thousands of people being stuck in hospitals and nursing homes.

One of the people who spoke on the show was Helen Harnett who was struck by a serious illness including a stroke.

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Helen cannot go home and has been in St Ita’s Community Hospital in Limerick for over three years.

Speaking on the show, she said: “There’s no place like home. I feel very disappointed. I worked all my life with the county council, and I paid my taxes. I’m here now, and I need help and I can’t get it.”

Home carers are paid just €11 or €12 an hour and are not paid travel expenses by private companies.

These private companies, however, get roughly €27 an hour from the HSE.

Michael Harty, who used to run a private home care agency, added: “Do we have a shortage of carers, or do we just have a shortage of people who want to work for barely above the minimum wage?”

Viewers took to social media, expressing their worries as the crisis deepens.

One person said: “Helen is 75. She was born in the late 40’s. I was born in the early 70s, not that far behind her.

“If you were a teen in the 80s, be frightened. This is what lies ahead of us. It’s terrifying.”

Another person said: “Stop this madness and nationalise our home care system.”

A third person said: “If the PAs was a human right, and assistance was treated as a rights issue not a medical one, maybe the PAs would feel valued and better quality services could be delivered to disabled people.”

Another person added: “€27 – €30 per hour from the HSE to private companies per hour for home care & yet who those on the front line actually deliver the care get €11.50 per hour . #rtept

“Why doesn’t the HSE actually hire their own staff? This is a crisis – all elected reps deal with this daily.”

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