THREAD:

The first part of our home care investigation focused on the impact of the pandemic on carers.

We show that carers experienced significant income loss due to Covid-19 in spite of the HSE agreeing to pay providers for the months when the pandemic peaked.

One home carer told us that because one of her clients had suspected Covid-19, her work was limited to that one client for over two weeks while awaiting the test results. Her income dropped significantly to €80 per week because of this.

The HSE told us that it initially “agreed to pay providers an agreed rate in respect of clients who were cancelling their service from 13 March”.

Subsequently this policy was revised and providers were “paid at 01 March levels of service" for the months of April and May.

We asked the top five HSE funded for-profit private home care providers if they passed on these HSE payments to their carers if their hours were cut. Here are their responses:

Read the full story now: How home carers became the forgotten frontline workers of the pandemic

https://www.noteworthy.ie/carer-pay-conditions-covid19-part-one-2-5164132-Aug2020/