Fears over nursing home system

UP TO 30 people a week have contacted the Action on Elder Abuse helpline in the eight months since it was established, and many have expressed concern about the nursing home complaints system.

According to helpline managers, a great deal of their calls deal with fears about nursing home standards.

Financial abuse of elderly people is also a common complaint.

Helpline information manager Tracy Wells said that many of those who contact them have already been in touch with the Health Service Executive (HSE) but feel their complaints are not being followed up.

“We hear cases such as people with dementia being tied to chairs so stop them wandering out of homes, the kind of thing which shouldn’t be going on.”

Action on Elder Abuse arranged meetings with the HSE to discuss some of the issues they were encountering, and now certain complaints are sent to the HSE which will then report back to the helpline staff.

A spokesman for the HSE said they were working towards publishing nursing home inspection reports. He also said he would “strongly refute” any claims that complaints weren’t being followed up.

The Action on Elder Abuse helpline can be contacted at 1800-940-010.