Nursing home residents overcharged for haircuts and chiropody, investigation finds

"The system in place for the management of resident’s finances was not sufficiently robust," stated the Hiqa report into the Windmill House Care Centre in Churchtown, Mallow.

The inspection report into the Windmill House Care Centre in Churchtown, Mallow, found that 'where the hairdresser charged €10 for a man's haircut the provider recharged €12 to the resident'.

A centre for people with disabilities in Mallow, Co Cork, has been criticised in a Hiqa report after it was found that residents seemed to be charged extra for haircuts and chiropody visits, and that the pensions for three residents were paid into the centre's account and not into the resident's account.

The inspection report into the Windmill House Care Centre in Churchtown, Mallow, found that it was substantially or fully compliant with almost every standard, and that residents were happy living there.

But the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found that the centre did not take all reasonable measures to protect residents, citing instances involving finances.

According to the report: "The system in place for the management of resident’s finances was not sufficiently robust. The provider was acting as a pension agent for three residents living in the centre. However, the three pensions were paid into the centre's account and not into the resident's account.

"Charges for the care service were deducted from the pension from the centre's account and the balance was not paid into the resident's account. This is not in compliance with the requirements of the Department of Social Welfare 'Obligations and Responsibilities of an Agent' which requires that the pension agent must pay the full amount of the pension without deduction of any kind, directly to the resident, before any deductions are made. 

Additionally, the guidance states that 'the balance of the payment is lodged to an interest-bearing account for the benefit of the customer'."

Additional charges

It also found residents seemed to be paying extra for certain services.

"The inspector saw that where services such as hairdressing and chiropody were provided to the resident in the centre, there was an additional charge added to these services by the provider," it stated.

"By way of example, the chiropodist charged and invoiced the resident €25 per treatment, however the provider charged and invoiced the resident €30 despite the treatment being provided in the resident's own home, that is the designated centre, at no extra cost to the provider. This additional cost was not made sufficiently clear to the billpayer.

"A similar additional cost was charged for hairdressing services, for example where the hairdresser charged €10 for a man's haircut the provider recharged €12 to the resident.

Individual receipts were not maintained on residents' files for hairdressing and chiropody services."

Response from centre

The provider's response in the report said: "The additional charges will be made clear to the resident with an updated contract of care.

"Discussion with assistant principal from the Department of Social Welfare/ liaison officer for DSP for safeguarding vulnerable adults confirmed that the system in place for the management of resident’s finances is sufficiently robust and in compliance with social welfare regulations."