The solicitor, the owner and the model

A MODEL, a solicitor and their mother, who said she was only guilty of “being too kind” — these are the businesswomen whose private nursing home is at the centre of Ireland’s latest health service scandal.

The glamorous Lipsett family — Therese and her daughters Avila and Sarah — regularly featured in the social diary columns of newspapers.

Now they are front-page news after shocking allegations about their Rostrevor House Nursing Home.

Mrs Lipsett, 58, recently handed over control of the nursing home to Kitelm Limited, whose directors are two of her three daughters — Avila, a former model, and Sarah, a solicitor.

However, she is still officially the registered owner. A trained nurse, she had previously been struck off by An Bord Altranais after failing to take appropriate action against a male nurse who had sexual contact with residents and drank while on duty.

The revelation was made in June 2005, when the male nurse, Stuart William Cummings, was also struck off the register.

Mrs Lipsett was also fined €8,000 after pleading guilty to 10 charges relating to poor conditions of care at the nursing home identified by inspectors in 2003 and 2004.

In a letter to the HSE on November 4, 2005, Mrs Lipsett wrote: “I was the victim of a malicious campaign. The only sin I am guilty of is being too good and kind.”