‘Serious concerns’ over operators of nursing home

HEALTH inspectors have raised concerns about the ability of the operators of a large Co Clare nursing home to run the facility which provides a home to 54 elderly patients.

Officials from the Health Information and Quality Authority said they were “seriously concerned” that the provider and acting person in charge of Kilrush District Hospital did not meet the criteria deemed necessary for such a role.

HIQA inspectors, who visited the voluntary-run facility which is located on the Cooraclare Road in Kilrush, found 17 residents were restrained in buxton chairs without adequate exploration of alternative means of restraint.

They expressed concern for the safety and welfare of these patients in the absence of appropriate individual care plans.

Criticism was also voiced at medication management practices which increased the risk of drug errors.

A HIQA report on an inspection, which was carried out on the nursing home over two days last February, said the managers were not aware of their statutory obligations and did not have knowledge of health legislation governing nursing homes.

“The required policies and procedures to ensure the safe delivery of services were not in place,” it added.

The HIQA inspectors were worried measures had not been put in place to protect residents from elder abuse, while staffing levels and their range of skills were also considered inadequate.

They also described daily life for residents as “monotonous” as they had no access to any regular, meaningful or appropriate activities.