Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

Participants also discussed at length the issues related to subvention. Two problemswere evident: firstly, that the standard rate of subvention was not enough to providefor the needs of older people; secondly, that the rates of enhanced subvention variedwidely across the country. Participants suggested, therefore, that the agreed rateshould reflect the actual costs of care. They also agreed that there should be a nationalapproach to enhanced subvention which ensured consistency across the country.Resources: comments from focus group participantsCommunal living! I hate it! The only people who are used to living in a communitysetting were nuns and priests and even that’s changed; the convents have allbeen sold off and the nuns put into houses and yet we persist and continue tobuild institutions that have, you know. … I don’t want to be stuck in a corner with ascreen around me, you know. So we have to get away to look at a different approach.(FG1D)It’s a question of resources. There’s no shortage of ideas and plans and ways tosolve it. (FGD0)5.7.4 Changing the Approach to InspectionAll participants raised the issue of inspections of private nursing homes. The consensusfrom all focus groups was that there needed to be a change in inspection regulations.Participants suggested that both public and private facilities should be inspected.109Some participants also reported that there was a need to change the focus ofinspection. They were concerned that the current focus was more on the physicalfacilities than on quality of care or quality of life. While they agreed that thestandard of the facility was important, they felt the emphasis should be moreon standards of care. They suggested that there should be national standards forquality of care which would be used to direct inspections and that the inspectorateshould be independent.Inspection: comments from focus group participantsI think the health board facilities should be inspected too, and brought up to a certainstandard. They’re not. It’s one rule for one … (FG2G)The inspection teams are looking at the switch on the wall and the light on the bulb,or whatever! (FG2D)