Madam, - I write on behalf of the Irish Nursing Homes' Organisation's nurses' committee, which represents nurses and healthcare teams working in private nursing homes across the country.
We wish to express our distress and dismay at the sustained negative media coverage of the nursing home industry.
The constant criticism has demoralised staff who are working hard to provide a very high standard of care for their residents.
Nursing homes are already under constant scrutiny from families, the inspection teams and various other professional staff who visit them.
Most residents of private nursing homes have complex physical and mental health needs, Nurses and staff working in this sector are dedicated to caring for frail elderly people and to ensuring all their care, social and psychological needs are met.
One director of nursing described the service she provides as totally holistic, providing for all needs, ie, the organisation of chiropody, hairdressing, physiotherapy, social activities, organisation of out-patient appointments, opticians, medical care, medication ordering and administration, the provision of personal care etc, the list is endless.
The best part of all is that this is provided in a friendly and homely environment by professional, well-trained, dedicated nurses and support staff.
If you asked residents and relatives of residents if they are satisfied with the care given to them in private nursing homes up and down the country you would get a very strong majority of highly satisfied people.
So please stop tarring us all with the one brush and let there be recognition for the hard-working and dedicated nurses and staff who take care of the country's frail elderly population each and every day in the private nursing home sector.
The Irish Nursing Homes' Organisation's nurses' committee is also working to raise and set standards of quality of care by creating a culture of evidence-based practice for policies and procedures in private nursing homes. - Yours, etc,
CAROLINE CONNELLY
Practice Development Facilitator,
Irish Nursing Homes' Organisation,
Dublin 2.