Demolition at Leas Cross to pave way for care unit
A two-storey section of the former Leas Cross Nursing Home will be demolished and replaced with a purpose-built, single-storey dementia care unit, if its new owners are given the green light by planners.
Mowlam Residential Care Ltd has applied to Fingal County Council for permission to demolish the old 37-bed facility and replace it with three independent 10-bed units specifically designed to cater for the needs of dementia patients.
A second 73-bed section of the former Leas Cross home, now Swords Nursing Home, has already been renovated and replaced by a 60-bed facility, in consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Mowlam chairman Pat Shanahan said under its ownership Swords Nursing Home was doing well.
“The new facility is totally upgraded and has high staffing levels. The feedback is positive,” he said.
Mr Shanahan said he expects the proposed dementia units to be ready next year, if planning approval is granted. Mowlam Healthcare runs a number of care facilities nationwide.
The former Leas Cross home was the subject of huge controversy in 2005 after an RTÉ Prime Time Investigates programme revealed neglect and poor standards at the facility.
A follow-up inquiry concluded care of patients at the home was “deficient at many levels” and amounted to “institutional abuse”.
In April 2007, Health Minister Mary Harney gave the go-ahead for an examination of the role of the HSE and former health boards in connection with the ownership, management and staffing of the home.
The interim report of the investigating commission is due for publication in mid- March and the final report is due in September.
