More than 60 Covid-19 outbreaks at nursing homes across Cork and Kerry

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has said that it is supporting the residents of a significant number of private nursing homes where there are Covid-19 outbreaks.

Currently, there are more than 60 outbreaks in residential settings across Cork and Kerry, including private nursing homes, community hospitals, disability centres and mental health services.

However, the majority of these outbreaks are in residential centres for older people.

While the scale and impact of the outbreaks varies, the HSE has confirmed that they are currently supporting a significant number of residential centres in crisis.

The level of support which is being provided to nursing homes and community hospitals who have outbreaks includes Infection Prevention and Control advice, senior nursing support to management processes and consultant geriatrician support.

“Our absolute priority in all cases is to make sure the residents of nursing homes (whether the facility is a public or private) continue to receive the care they need, despite the challenge presented by Covid-19 related staff leave,” read a statement from Cork Kerry Community Healthcare.

“The level of staff ill with Covid-19 across the health service means that it is difficult for some locations to maintain their staffing at the levels needed, and this is a constant challenge. 

"Staff are going to heroic lengths to make sure that residents continue to receive the care they need.” 

 Currently, the Defence Forces are also supporting Regional Care Home Facilities at five locations nationally, including three locations in Cork where they are providing support around cleaning and waste disposal, allowing nurses and healthcare assistants to focus on the care of residents and patients.

The assistance they are providing includes cleaning, cooking, making beds, non-clinical waste removal, transport and administrative duties.

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has also worked with private nursing homes in order to put them in touch with other sources of staff such as nurses working in other settings like GP practices who have offered to work some shifts in nursing homes in crisis.

However, staff is still urgently required and any burses or healthcare assistants who are not currently involved in direct care of patients or residents can contact Chief Officer Michael Fitzgerald directly on MichaelM.Fitzgerald@hse.ie.