An ESRI analysis indicates a pressing need for long-term residential care beds and home-support hours for Ireland's aging population, projected to increase by 60% by 2040. As the older demographic grows, with 21% being 65 or older, demands for both short-stay and long-stay beds in nursing homes will rise significantly. While improvements in health may help, the sheer increase in older individuals will largely offset this. Government efforts aim to plan accordingly, including building more nursing-home beds and enhancing home care services.
Ireland has experienced tremendous improvements in life expectancy in recent decades. This means there is, and will be, a much larger population at older ages who require long-term care services to support them at home, or within residential facilities.
By 2040, it is projected that long-term residential care beds and home-support hours provided to the older population will need to increase by at least 60%.
The substantial impact of increases in the number of older people in Ireland will offset much of the potential easing of the situation that having more people living in good health in older years will bring.
The Programme for Government pledges to build more public nursing-home beds, create a home care scheme to help people stay in their homes longer, and increase home-care hours.
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