Nursing home staff are currently struggling with the latest obstacle that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented - widespread absences across the sector.
A survey by Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has shown that an average 8% of staff across the country are unavailable due to Covid.
The frontline workers that have not contracted the virus are now working extra shifts to meet residents needs to the best of their ability.
The CEO of NHI, Tadhg Daly, told Dublin Live the sector is now under immense pressure as case numbers continue to soar.
He said: "Omicron is fairly widespread in communities. There's an inevitability around large numbers as is replicated amongst many sectors.
"If you were to equate that across the sector, it's probably about 2,800 people out.
"That's obviously putting pressure on a system that's already under pressure considering what people have been through in the last two years.
"Staff have been heroic in many aspects- working long shifts and extra shifts.
"I suppose they're being asked to step up again. It's very trying but staff are just getting on with it.
"We're hoping that we are getting towards the beginning of the end of the pandemic, sooner rather than later."
Mr Daly explained that nursing homes still have to provide round-the-clock care regardless of the difficult circumstances.
He said: "You see in other sectors where they say 'we are going to close early' or cut availability.
"Pharmacies are saying now that they might have to close earlier.
"Obviously, in the nursing home sector, it's 24 hour care.
"What it means ultimately is that staff are taking on additional shifts and not grumbling about it at all.
"They're holding their heads up and while they're very, very tired - they're just getting on with it."
The CEO said that nursing homes have played a critical role during the pandemic as they provide beds for people being discharged from critical care.
He said: "The nursing homes have a critical role to play in ensuring discharges from acute hospitals.
"Acute hospitals are under significant pressure.
"It's a balancing act - ensuring that you have appropriate staffing levels is always tricky but it's compounded now by the fact that there's a fairly significant number out with Covid related absences."
Nursing home staff are now worried about the coming weeks with no sign of any improvements any time soon.
Mr Daly said: "We are fearful.
"We are hearing that the peak of the wave is in the next ten days. There is high vigilance across the sector but there is a nervousness that things could get worse over the next week or ten days.
"That would put even more pressure on the staff that thankfully don't have Covid."
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