Sinn Féin MLA Mickey Brady said mixed messages regarding the future of residential care homes are continuing to cause unnecessary distress to elderly citizens and their families.
His comments come after it was reported that the Northern Trust are making care homes unsustainable by restricting admissions.
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on the elderly and member of the Assembly’s Health Committee said: “There have been reassurances from the Health Department and the Health Trusts that there would be clear consultation on ‘Transforming Your Care’ but clearly these mixed signals are causing confusion.
“We are talking about people here and there is too much unnecessary claims and counter-claims which is clearly causing distress to elderly residents in the care homes and their families.
“Transforming Your Care is about improving how our elderly citizens are cared for. Clearly attempting to close care homes in an underhand way is not taking on board the concerns of those these decisions affect the most.
“The Health Minister and any Health Trusts should immediately come out and reassure people that the care of the elderly will be approached with sensitivity and openness.
“First and foremost the well-being of our elderly citizens must be at the centre of any decisions made regarding the future of care homes.”
