Nursing home: Inspectors’ standards ‘unachievable’

A PRIVATE care home owner said that demands sometimes required by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), are “unachievable”.

Olivia English’s comments came after a HIQA inspection report said “inspectors had serious concerns about the management of a resident at risk of malnutrition” at her Sancta Maria care home in Cratloe, Clare.

The inspectors said the resident should have been referred to a dietician but it had not taken place.

Ms English said: “The standards demanded by HIQA are extremely high and in a lot of cases are very, very difficult to achieve due to budget constraints. The standards are in place since 2009 and we have made progress in attempting to achieve those standards and our work is ongoing.”

“You try your best, but it can be very, very difficult and there is a lot of pressure on care home owners and staff to meet the standards set by HIQA, which are sometimes unachievable.”