A NURSING home that failed to meet a series of basic care standards was found by inspectors to have had no person in charge employed for the previous two months.
Inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) who visited Gallen Priory nursing home near Ferbane, Co Offaly, last August also raised concerns over a lack of suitably trained staff, use of restraint and a lack of activities for residents.
In total, the authority found the home failed to meet 23 regulatory requirements. These failures included:
- Insufficient and inadequate management and leadership in the centre, which faces serious challenges to comply with current regulations and legislation.
- Scant attention was given to meeting residents' needs for companionship and fulfilment.
- Evidence of restraint of some residents, but no system for assessment or review in place and individualised guidelines for the use of restraints were not available to inspectors.
- The absence of a planned approach to nursing care had led to variable practice and nursing practices that did not meet legislative and regulatory requirements.
- Not keeping the centre clean or ensuring that cleaning staff were appropriately supervised.
- The lack of a system to review the quality and safety of care to and the quality of life of the residents.
Inspectors issued the owner with a detailed action plan, requiring that many issues be resolved immediately. In an unannounced follow-up inspection earlier this month, they noted significant changes. They found that interim arrangements had been made for a staff nurse to act as person in charge, while the owner arranged for an administrator and two senior nurses to support the acting person in charge and her staff.
In addition, inspectors said there were improvements in the quality of life for residents and in the cleanliness of the facility.
Jim McCrystal, the owner, told The Irish Timesyesterday he accepted that standards at the nursing home were not sufficient when inspectors called last August.
“We definitely on the day weren’t up to what they were looking for,” he said. “They couldn’t have come at a worse time. We have now have a new nurse manager in place and we’ve rectified all the things they commented upon.” He said that no issues had been raised under the old HSE inspection system.
“I felt let down by the last inspector’s visit. I was led to believe our paperwork and all we had was fine. They had no issues. Then when the new people came, it was all different,” he said,
“Overall, it’s positive that under the new system they are more interested in the patients. Before, it was all to do with the building.”