Almost half of terminal cancer patients receiving treatment at home do not have any central heating.
Research carried out by the Irish Cancer Society found that 1-in-3 nurses providing end-of-life care in homes across the country say they have experienced patients’ homes without any heating.
It also found that 3-in-5 reported households having difficulty paying bills like mortgages, rent and utilities.
CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power says the government needs to act and provide assistance:
"At end-of-Life people experience the cold more. Their clothes and bedding need to be washed more. They often need to power electronic medical devices. This research shows that unfortunately many terminally ill cancer patients can't afford to do that right now. We find that really shocking. We're calling on government to address this by giving them access to existing social welfare payments such as the Fuel Allowance and the Household Benefits package".
