Long-term care has not been listed as an essential part of basic healthcare for Bermuda, according to a senior’s charity.Claudette Fleming, the executive director of Age Concern, said there was no “definitive language” within the National Health Plan consultation paper that spoke to the coverage of long-term care.Speaking to The Royal Gazette yesterday, she believed the Plan was not substantive enough to meet the needs of older people “as it stands now in the discursive phase”.Long term care is necessary for people with a chronic state of illness; from the time of the onset of the illness until the day they die. This largely affects seniors and people with disabilities, said Ms Fleming.The Plan, unveiled by Health Minister Zane DeSilva in February, aims to provide universal access to basic health coverage to all residents.It defines basic health coverage as including “urgent physical and mental healthcare, hospitalisation, primary care, preventive care and maintenance”.And outlines that coverage contributions shall be based on ability to pay to provide equal access to healthcare.Ms Fleming said the Plan discussed the challenges of financing long-term care and home care needs. It also mentioned that reforms were needed to meet the healthcare needs of this population.But she added: “It does not identify long-term care or home care provisions as viable means for addressing these needs within the proposed National Health Plan”.She said some references were “too vague for the reader to conclude that long-term care or home care will be addressed in the proposed health reform, as there is also mention of general taxation and social insurance as potential viable means for financing long-term care”.“As far as I can see, no definitive language within the Consultation document speaks to the coverage of long-term care within the proposed health Plan.”A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said: “The NHP Consultation Paper includes consideration of seniors and long-term care at the core”.She said one goal in particular focused on implementing strategies to meet the healthcare needs of those with chronic illnesses and physical, cognitive or mental disabilities.“In addition, the Plan proposes that subsidies for vulnerable populations would continue to exist,” she said; also citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25(1), which states that old age is among the special categories of persons entitled to security and healthcare.“Further, the Plan focus on equity inherently includes consideration of seniors, and goals (1) “universal access to basic coverage”, and (3) “health coverage contributions shall be based on ability to pay…” would be significant assistance to senior populations.”lFor more information on the National Health Plan visit www.gov.bm or www.bhec.bm.