Respect, decency, kindness ‘key’ for people in care
“I speak to an awful lot of people who are service users and, amazingly, it is not the hi-tech therapies at all that it the issue for them — it is respect, decency and kindness,” she said. “People have to be paid for delivering a service but respect and consideration do not cost anything extra,” she said.
Ms Lynch said that, if she felt horrified about the alleged abuse at Rostrevor nursing home in Dublin, she could only imagine how the families of the residents felt. “I think our sympathies need to go to them,” she said.
She said the catalogue of neglect exposed at Leas Cross nursing home in north Dublin had underlined the need, not just for enforceable standards, but a robust inspection system.
And, said Ms Lynch, the alleged abuse at Rostrevor nursing home highlighted the need for whistle-blower legislation. “The people that worked there had a fear of losing their job, losing their work permit and they are all very understandable fears.”
“The legislation is in the drafting office. It will be introduced and will cover care units as well as nursing homes,” she stressed.
Ms Lynch said steps would also be taken to ensure that standards were applied to community-based care services. “We can’t have the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspecting people’s homes — that would not work. We will have to apply the standards to the people providing the service.” Asked how the standards would be measured, Ms Lynch said that was HIQA’s job to decide on the necessary criteria.
Ms Lynch is also anxious HIQA have its powers extended to residential settings for people with disabilities.
Asked if there was a need for an ombudsman for older people, Ms Lynch, said there may be a case for creating a separate unit dealing with older people within Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly’s office. “I am always very worried about reinventing the wheel.”
