A staff shortage in the sector has forced thousands of elderly people across the country finding themselves stuck in hospitals and nursing homes.
Helen has stayed in St Ita's Community Hospital in Limerick for over three years. She has been approved for a home care package, but because of a lack of staff, she cannot go home."I feel very disappointed. I worked all my life with the county council, and I paid my taxes. I’m here now, and I need help and I can’t get it."
"The HSE is paying roughly €27 an hour to private companies – and then private companies are paying carers €11 or €12 an hour," he told the programme. "Helen is 75. She was born in the late 40s. I was born in the early 70s, not that far behind her. If you were a teen in the 80s, be frightened. This is what lies ahead of us. It’s terrifying," one person tweeted.