Residents at care home punished with fines

Residents at a centre for people with disabilities were punished through the removal of personal items, restrictions on food, and the issuing of fines. Hiqa has ordered that the practices be stopped immediately.

The unannounced inspection of Highwater Lodge, in Wexford, which is operated by Stepping Stones Residential Care Limited, was conducted in response to a notification to Hiqa of serious injury, and to monitor progress towards the agreed actions from a previous inspection, last July. At that time, Hiqa found significant non-compliance with the regulations.

According to the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), the notification that triggered the follow-up inspection related to one resident striking another, causing a head injury. “The inspectors were not satisfied with the information submitted, both in relation to the immediate care of the injured resident and in relation to control measures to ensure the ongoing safety of the resident. Further information was requested, and the document submitted did not address these issues.”