Hiqa finds serious shortcomings in Limerick nursing home

Serious shortcomings in a Limerick nursing home where many residents spent most of the day in their bedrooms have been found by the State's health services watchdog.

St Ita's Community Hospital in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick, had 69 residents when inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority made an unannounced inspection in July.

The HSE-run nursing home did not ensure that residents had access to meaningful activities and a large number spent long periods in their bedrooms, either in bed or in a chair by their bedside.

Some residents had been left in the sitting room with little stimulation. The television was on but none of them showed any interest in it.

The activities coordinator was on annual leave over the two days of the inspection and was not replaced.

Some of the activities by external providers, such as a musician and art therapist, were paid for by a local volunteer group, not the HSE.

Because of the design and layout of the premises that requires reconfiguration, residents near the end of their lives do not have adequate privacy.

Some lived out their final days being cared for in a five-bedded room, with the curtains pulled around their bed.

Relatives were unable to spend time alone with their family member or friend when they were seriously ill and approaching the end of life.

Inspectors who made an announced inspection of Patterson's Nursing Home in Roscrea, Tipperary, in July found that the atmosphere in the dining room at mealtimes was unpleasant.

A resident who did not want to eat any more at dinnertime was repeatedly told to sit down and finish the meal and staff handed drinks to residents without asking what they wanted first.

“All of these practices require review to ensure that residents are not unnecessarily restricted and their freedom and choices were promoted and respected,” the inspectors stated.

The nursing home that had 27 residents at the time only had three communal bathrooms instead of the minimum requirement of one bathroom for every eight residents.

Some of the furniture was in poor repair. Several seats in the day room area that was worn or had rips in the coverings had been repaired with a hardware tape. There was limited access to outdoor space.

Infection control was poor and residents who had symptoms of urinary tract infections were, in most cases, prescribed antibiotics without specific laboratory selection, a practice that increased the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

An unusual unannounced nighttime inspection of Drumderrig House Nursing Home, in Boyle, Co Roscommon, in August followed the receipt of unsolicited information by the office of the chief inspector.

All of the concerns raised about regular staff shortages, poor cleaning standards and recruitment procedures were substantiated by the inspectors

The nursing home had 94 residents at the time and inspectors noticed that residents sat for long periods without any staff presence.

Staff were constantly engaged in personal care activities and had no time for social activity or engagement. Some residents had to wait for attention when they needed assistance.

They also found that several areas of the centre did not have a staff presence for extended periods after 8pm.