Health watchdog found Cork nursing home had mould growing on cleaning products

Records also showed two nursing positions were vacant, leaving just one nurse on night duty for three floors as well as giving end-of-life care to two residents, Hiqa report found

Hiqa carried out 48 inspections between November 2023 and last month. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Mould growing on cleaning products, blocked fire escapes and an attempt to hire a manager without the right experience were among concerns by the health watchdog in its most recent inspections. 

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) carried out 48 inspections between November 2023 and last month.

An unannounced inspection of Blair’s Hill Nursing Home in Cork City found mould growing on cleaning products and hand hygiene supplies.

They also found not enough cleaning staff rostered on to properly deep clean the unit.

Staff records also showed two nursing positions were vacant, leaving just one nurse on night duty for three floors as well as giving end-of-life care to two residents.

Inspectors identified lack of training for staff in crucial areas including infection control, care planning and wound care.

They found “disparities” between results of internal audits and what they saw on the day.

The centre was asked to act immediately on fire concerns, including removing a sink and a hard rock sheet from blocking an emergency exit.

Hiqa also heard from residents: “Blair's Hill Nursing Home was a nice place to live and that staff were kind and caring to residents.”

St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Cashel was found not compliant with six standards and only substantially compliant with nine when measured against 21 standards in November.

A key concern was an intention to hire as a manager a person who did not have the right experience, having previously suggested another person lacking experience in March. 

In response, Hiqa appointed “a suitably qualified nurse who meets all regulations” following a series of meetings. 

Inspectors said positive results of internal audits on infection control and care plans “did not correlate with the findings of this inspection”.

They noticed “weaknesses” during infection control checks, including two residents with a multi-drug resistant organism who did not have a care plan.

Wash hand basins and sinks were dirty as were sinks at the nurses’ station and one of two communal water fountains.

Inspectors saw improvements to fire safety since a previous inspection but were still concerned to see residents regularly smoking in a stairwell designated as an evacuation route.

Residents also told the inspectors that “staff worked hard to support them have a good quality of life, and that they were kind and polite to them”. 

At TLC Carton in Raheny, Dublin, inspectors said they did not have enough staff or the right skills-mix with staff, saying “there was not enough time to complete all assigned duties”.

Hiqa said the home “failed to provide” enough resources to address failings found earlier, including supporting residents. One resident was eating alone in their room instead of the dining room, for example.

Concerns were also expressed around safety, with inspectors observing people able to freely enter the centre without being signed in.

The report said “some residents provided positive feedback” but inspectors also saw dirty medical equipment and three overflowing ‘sharps bins’, which typically contain used needles.