Time to get real on nursing homes

ONCE more we hear of alleged abuse of older people in a nursing home.

Unfortunately, this abuse will be highlighted again and again until and when the core problem of “supervision” or lack of it, is resolved in a very serious way.

I have worked in both Ireland’s and Britain’s health services for 50 years and have witnessed this sort of complaint surface time and time again.

The inspectorate appointed by the HSE can only act on what they see, hear and conclude.

If they are forced to close a home not complying to standards they must find alternative accommodation and face up to all the problems presented in an overstretched caring system, not least the upset to people in care.

That kind of pressure must be removed from the inspectors. Staff quality must be of the highest standard, and that costs money.

Home owners should be enabled to pay wages at least comparable to HSE levels and similar pension benefits.

That would present a larger pool from which quality staff can be appointed. Most homes are lucky in that they are managed well, foster a teamwork spirit, and retain their staff. I know at least two in Cork.

Those nursing homes would match the best I have seen in Britain. There are others of course equally good; but we unfortunately have the few that manage to put on a good show for an inspector, and manage to keep their licence.

We are not talking about commodities here. People who are, through circumstances beyond their control, forced to take residential care should receive the best we can afford. I fear the scandals revealed in a drip drip fashion are the tip of the iceberg.

Why, for instance, are HSE care homes or units for the elderly not subject to the same rigorous inspection criteria applied to private establishments?

We need radical thinking here. By all means whistleblowing must be encouraged.

We do need better surveillance and education on the subject of abuse.

With the agreement of all concerned is it not time we considered installing sealed cameras in vulnerable areas, to be opened only by the inspectorate and nurse manager, and acted upon if necessary?

You will get howls about “privacy intrusion” and “rights abuse” etc, but surely in this day and age when we are secretly filmed wherever we go this is not such an affront if it will stop one unfortunate senior or junior citizen in care from torture or abuse?

We spend more of the taxpayers’ money protecting the euro than we do on the vulnerable in our midst. Time to get real.

John O’Sullivan

RPN, RGN, RNID (retired)

Passage West

Co Cork