THE OPERATOR of a Co Clare nursing home said yesterday the facility had put in place a comprehensive response to a series of concerns expressed by health inspectors on care provided at the home.
The report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into Kilrush District Hospital, published last week, found measures had not been taken to protect residents from elder abuse.
Yesterday, board director, John Hehir, said: “We provide fantastic care to the elderly of west Clare and we intend to continue to do that. Some aspects of the Hiqa report are disappointing, but we are proud of our record and will continue to provide excellent care.” He said the facility had put in place an immediate action plan to deal with the concerns.
When they visited the facility in February, the inspectors also found “17 residents restrained in buxton chairs without adequate exploration of alternatives to restraint, care planning or appropriate risk assessments”. The inspectors stated they were very concerned for the safety and welfare of these residents.
Twelve of the buxton chairs have since been removed and Mr Hehir said yesterday the remaining five would be removed as soon as the ordered specialist replacement chairs arrived.
Hiqa also found “staffing levels and skill mix were not based on the assessed needs of residents, and recruitment practices did not ensure the safety of residents and quality of service”.
There was no staff training plan, and there had been no professional training for nurses, the report said. It also found inspectors had identified “some good practices”, including staff members establishing good relationships with residents, working hard and treating residents with kindness and respect.
The inspectors recorded a local musician playing to the residents on the first day of the inspection.
“However, residents and staff told inspectors that there had been no music session for about two months.”
