The number of HSE-funded beds for dementia patients in the State has decreased by more than 12 per cent over the past five years, new figures show.
The data comes amid forecasts that the number of people with the condition in Ireland will more than double by 2050 from 55,000 in 2018, to 141,200.
Figures provided in response to a parliamentary question from Labour’s health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock show in 2020 there were 403 community nursing home beds for dementia patients. Of these, 394 were long-stay beds and nine were respite beds.
In 2024, this figure decreased to 353 beds, of which 332 were long-stay and 21 were respite beds.
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The HSE Dublin and North East health area, which provides health and social care to north Dublin, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and most areas of Cavan, saw the number of long-stay beds decrease from 84 in 2020 to 46 last year.
Ms Sherlock said while the number of respite beds has more than doubled from 9 to 21, it is still “appallingly low”.
“The number of people with dementia is growing as we have an ageing population. We are going to see greater demand going into the future,” she said.
“I’m seeing women in their 70s and 80s who would’ve been fine, fit individuals. But they are really frayed by having to be on 24/7 to care for someone, their partners, with dementia. The toll it is taking on them physically and psychologically is significant.”
Dementia is the name given to a range of conditions affecting the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease, which can affect memory, language, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
HSE figures show there were 719 people with dementia waiting on a bed. However, it said a “significant number” of those wait-listed may have already availed of a bed in a private or voluntary unit, while others are on a waiting list for a number of HSE units.
A spokesman for the HSE said a “range of dementia-specific services are provided to support the individual with dementia and their families to remain in home and community settings”.
In relation to bed capacity, the spokesman said there is a capital investment programme which is refurbishing community nursing units (CNU) and constructing new facilities to ensure compliance with regulations.
“While many of the projects involve newly constructed buildings, they are part of the broader CNU programme designed primarily to replace beds lost due to Hiqa-related closures. In essence, this is a replacement initiative that supports both the refurbishment of older units and the development of new ones,” he said.
“Publicly managed nursing homes are undergoing major structural transformation under the Capital Investment Programme to bring all facilities up to Hiqa standards. This has resulted in fluctuations in bed capacity.”
