The number of beds is down 57%, and respite beds have also seen a drop.
Older people are in a lose-lose situation with regard to a lack of nursing home care and beds available.
That's according to Roscommon Galway TD Denis Naughten, who says the number of beds in CHO8, which covers Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, has seen a decrease of 57% between 2019 and 2023.
Over the same period, the number of respite beds dropped from 30 to 13.
The Independent Deputy says a whole of Government approach is needed for this problem:
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