Care packages: Families ‘overwhelmed’ by delays

Some patients and families are waiting years for home care packages, new figures obtained by BBC News NI can reveal.

Care packages are designed to allow people who are ill or have a disability to stay at home and to provide support to family members.

More than 3,500 people in Northern Ireland are currently waiting for a package and some of the longest delays for full and partial care packages have been up to five years.

The Department of Health acknowledged that the waiting times faced by some are “not acceptable” but said they often related to “complex” cases.

A spokesperson added: “Home care services continue to experience significant pressures across Northern Ireland and there are a range of factors currently impacting upon delivery of this service.

“This includes significant recruitment and retention issues in regard to care staff.

“Work is being taken forward by the department’s Social Care Collaborative Forum to develop a plan to grow capacity in home care across the region, a new model for home care, and to take forward key aspects of social care workforce development.”

BBC News NI has also been speaking to one family about their frustrations over trying to get a care package in a rural part of Northern Ireland.