The Fair Deal

scheme, more formally known as the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, is a HSE administered scheme of financial support for people who need long-term care in a nursing home setting. It can not be used to fund respite or convalescent care.

Applicants for the Fair Deal scheme, who must be residents in the State, will undergo a financial assessment of their assets and income. Successful applicants will make a contribution to the cost of their care and the balance will be paid by the State. The scheme can be used to pay for care in any approved nursing home; the choice of nursing home is not connected in any way to the level of your contribution to care. Brabazon House is fully approved for the Fair Deal scheme.

How to Apply for Fair Deal Funding

Applications are made to your local Nursing Home Support Office. The application form should be completed and signed by the person applying for nursing home care. However, in certain cases, another person may apply on their behalf. There are three steps to the application process.

  1. Application for a Care Needs Assessment. The care needs assessment identifies whether or not the applicant need long-term nursing home care. The assessment will consider whether the applicant can be supported to continue living at home or whether long-term nursing home care is more appropriate. The Care Needs Assessment will be carried out by appropriate healthcare professionals.
  2. Application for State Support. This requires a full Financial Assessment that looks at the income and assets of the applicant in order to work out what their contribution to their care will be. For a member of a couple, the assessment will be based on half of the couple’s combined income and assets. The applicant will contribute 80% of their income and 7.5% of the value of their assets per annum. Where the applicants assets include a principal residence, it will only be included in the financial assessment for the first 3 years of their time in care, i.e. the contribution from this source will be capped at 22.5% of the value of the residence. In the case of a couple where one member of the couple remains in the home while the other enters long term nursing home care, the contribution based on the principal residence will be capped at 11.25%.
  3. Application for a Nursing Home Loan (optional). Where the applicants assets include land and property in the State, the contribution based on such assets may be deferred. Instead the HSE will pay the money to the nursing home on their behalf and it will be collected from their estate after their death. Where a person opts for the nursing home loan in respect of the principal residence, their spouse or partner can also apply to have the repayment of the loan deferred for their lifetime. This loan must be repaid if: the applicant dies, the ownership of the relevant asset changes, the applicant is declared bankrupt, or the applicant is found to have given false information during the application process.

Further information on the Fair Deal scheme and a complete list of Nursing Home Support Offices can be found here