Call for right to nursing home visits to be enshrined in law

An advocacy group is calling for sanctions against nursing homes that do not comply with visiting guidance, and for written advice from local public health teams to accompany any restriction to family visits. Picture: Leah Farrell 

Care advocacy group Care Champions has called on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to enshrine HSE nursing home visiting guidelines in law.

The group is calling for sanctions against nursing homes that do not comply with visiting guidance, and for written advice from local public health teams to accompany any restriction to family visits. 

Sinn Féin will tomorrow publish a detailed proposal to overhaul legislation to protect nursing home residents from neglect and abuse.

The proposal follows the party’s successful Dáil motion in June calling for better safeguarding for residents and an inquiry into nursing home deaths and neglect.

The HSE is recommending restoration of normal visiting rights "as quickly and as completely as is practical", given the reduction of severe disease and death from Covid-19 due to the vaccination rollout in nursing homes. 

The agency says the rights should be restoredas quickly and as completely as is practical while recognising that there is a continuing level of risk and uncertainty that did not exist prior to the pandemic”.

At present, visiting guidance published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre [HSPC] states “residents in nursing homes and other residential care facilities have a right to maintain meaningful relationships with people who are important to them”.

It states visiting restrictions should be justified by an up-to-date risk assessment.

The guidance says it is essential that nursing homes engage with residents, involve them in decisionmaking, and communicate clearly with each resident and relevant others regarding their rights with respect to visiting.

Care Champions spokesperson Majella Beattie said: "It is unacceptable that nursing homes are not sanctioned when they introduce excessive restrictions to family visits.

"Residents are citizens with the same rights to see family in safe ways, as those of us living in the wider community.

"Given HIQA’s recent findings that over 50% of nursing homes fail to comply with statutory regulations, the vital and irreplaceable protection and support family visits provide to residents has never been more important.

"It is no longer acceptable to cocoon residents behind the doors of what are often poorly regulated homes.

"Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has a responsibility to make the law clear under the European Charter of Human Rights," said Ms Beattie.