Ireland needs to prepare now for ageing population - NHI

Ireland is running out of time to prepare for an ageing population, according to Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI).

The representative body said the Taoiseach needs to immediately enter dialogue on the issue.

The population aged 85 and over will grow by 162% by 2045, while more than one million people will be aged over 65 by the end of this decade, according to Department of Health projections.

"Ireland is sleepwalking into one of the biggest social and healthcare challenges in its history," Chief Executive of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly said at its annual conference.

"We know exactly what is coming, yet we are still not planning with the ambition and scale required.

"The clock is ticking, and we must forward plan instead of simply hoping the necessary infrastructure, care capacity, and support services will somehow appear," he said.

Nursing homes are already operating at 95% occupancy, and demand for long-term care is set to accelerate significantly over the coming two decades, approaching a "demographic tipping point" according to NHI.

The body has today written to Micheál Martin calling on the Government to convene a national dialogue on ageing "without delay".

"Today nursing homes are effectively full, and the nursing home sector has experienced a creeping loss of capacity to the system over the past number of years, seriously impacting bed capacity, and more importantly, the care choices available to older people across Ireland," Mr Daly said.

"At the same time, the ESRI projects that Ireland needs 1,000 additional nursing home beds every year until 2040.

"We are already seeing older people having to leave their community for nursing home care due to capacity constraints, a situation which is having a real impact on residents and families.

"We cannot take a siloed approach to this societal development.

"Meeting the future care and support needs for our older population will require collective discussion and action between all sectors and stakeholders."

The Government's Summer Economic Statement published in July projects that age-related costs in Ireland, including long-term care, pension, and healthcare costs will reach 97 billion euro by 2065, an increase of 62 billion euro compared to 2026.

"Ageing is not a crisis; it is one of Ireland’s greatest achievements, but failing to prepare for it would be a national policy failure that cannot be countenanced," Mr Daly said.