Unannounced inspection of Cork nursing home finds issues related to residents' rights

AN unannounced inspection of Blarney Nursing and Retirement Home identified issues relating to residents' rights.

A recently published HIQA report found that there was insufficient staffing to meet the social care needs of the residents, and residents were not provided with opportunities to participate in activities in accordance with their interests and abilities.

The inspector also noted that residents were not offered choice in where they would like to sit, as chairs in the communal sitting room were labelled with their names, which is considered a restrictive practice.

The report states, “Residents reported that the days were long and there were limited things to do except watch television in the day room.

“The inspectors observed that there were lengthy periods of time where residents were observed sitting in communal areas, in their assigned seat with little to occupy them.” 

The residents were also not given sufficient input into the centre, as the last residents meeting that had taken place was eleven months prior to this inspection, though the centre’s statement of purpose indicated that meetings would take place every four months.

The report also noted that “the system in place for serving residents meals in their bedrooms did not ensure that the main meal was always served at an appropriate temperature.

“All three courses were served together. Therefore the main meal or desert could be cold by the time the resident came to eat it.” 

There was also issues with fire safety, with the inspector noting assurances were not available that all residents could be evacuated in a timely manner to a place of relative safety at night times when staffing was lowest.

Several fire doors required attention, and one escape route was not suitable for evacuation aids or for residents who experienced mobility impairments as it contained uneven concrete and included crossing a stone chipped route.

There were also issues with the premises itself, with inappropriate storage of equipment in the sluice room posing a risk of cross-contamination, some arm chairs in use by residents noted to be visibly stained and grab rails in a communal bathroom visibly rusted, so could not be cleaned effectively.

The inspector noted, “There were areas in the interior of the building that were not kept in a good state of repair and did not meet the requirements under Schedule 6 of the regulations,” adding that doors, skirting and frames of some bedrooms and communal bathrooms were visibly chipped and damaged.

The provider assured that these premises issues had been fixed, fire drills have been completed and that a comprehensive fire and safety check by DL Engineering had been arranged.

They added, that despite challenges posed by recent events including an outbreak of illness, they have resumed activities with external facilitators, including music sessions, art therapy, and yoga/ exercises sessions, and the assigned seating procedure has ceased.