Elderly support group vows to monitor nursing home standards

AGE Action is in discussion with a number of private companies to help set up visiting committees that would monitor standards of care in nursing homes.

One team would be dedicated to one home and would rely on volunteers, in a similar manner to the neighbourhood watch scheme.

Reacting to the critical inspections — highlighted in the Irish Examiner — of conditions in several facilities nationwide, the elderly support group said it was disturbed by the failures uncovered.

“Age Action is concerned about the continuing reports by Health Service Executive inspectors of sub-standard care in private nursing homes.”

An independent inspectorate for homes is planned under the newly-established Health Information and Quality Authority.

Age Action though want localised teams to keep watch on facilities, possibly as often as every week.

“Not only would these groups provide visits to home residents but they would be trained to watch for any signs that minimum standards were not being met,” read a statement.

The group’s head of advocacy Eamon Timmins added: “The same issues are still occurring in homes, it’s alarming.

“What we’re planning is an extra level of protection and not just inspections every six months, like now. We’ve a number of corporate bodies approaching us.”

He stressed there was concern over hospitals discharging patients out of Dublin to surrounding counties due to limited bed numbers.

This often left worried families miles away from relatives and in the dark about their care.

Localised visiting teams, including retired doctors or nurses and lay people, could act as an extra guard against breaches in care.

Age Action are in discussion with companies to help fund the training and vetting of the watch teams.

They say the HSE will not fund the teams.

Meanwhile, there has been mixed reaction to the HSE’s admission a number of facilities are tagging patients with devices to stop them wandering from nursing homes.

Blair’s Hill Nursing Home, Cork, this week said it was shocked when inspectors asked it to consider tagging residents with electronic linked devices.

Age Action yesterday said some families had recently contacted it with concerns about relatives who had been tagged.

“It’s ultimately a decision for the family. There are other ways of dealing with people with dementia beyond tying them down or tagging them,” said Mr Timmins.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland yesterday said debate was needed on the use of the devices in nursing homes.

Chief executive Maurice O’Connell said: “Technology is a good thing, but if you want to keep someone in an environment, there are other options.”