East Cork nursing home addresses concerns raised during Hiqa inspection

Privacy, accessibility, and cleaning issues in a nursing home in Midleton have been addressed following an unannounced Hiqa inspection into the centre.

The overall feedback from residents was that Midleton Community Hospital (MCH) was a nice place to live in, and residents felt their rights were respected. 

Staff promoted a person-centred approach to care, and were observed by the inspectors to be kind and respectful towards residents.

The centre was marked compliant in nine areas, substantially compliant in four, and not compliant in one.

The non-compliance was in the area of the premises itself, with the inspector noting that flooring in the sitting and dining room was damaged, which would impede effective cleaning.

Accessibility issues

An immediate action was given to the provider to address accessibility issues in relation to the available toilet space in St Mary’s Ward.

The inspector noted: “A near-miss incident had occurred and appropriate action had not been taken, to ensure accessibility and privacy for a wheelchair-dependent resident using the toilet.” 

Bedroom accommodation in MCH consists of single, twin, triple, and four-bed rooms, and there were other privacy concerns in relation to the multi-occupancy rooms.

Folding screens were difficult to manoeuvre around individual beds as their design and movement was cumbersome, meaning that a staff member would have to support a frail older adult to move them around the bed, impeding privacy.

The sitting/dining room for the four residents, in each of the four-bedded rooms, was located at the end of the room, meaning staff, relatives, and other residents had to pass by residents’ private bed space to access this.

This was also an issue of concern in the back building, upstairs, where there was no barrier except a curtain between some bed spaces and the hallway, where staff, relatives, and residents passed by all day.

There was no screening on all windows in the four-bed rooms in the front building to protect residents’ privacy.

Action taken

Following the inspection, a responsive and effective action was immediately taken by the provider, and the toilet is now accessible and safe for use, independently, by a wheelchair user.

Appropriate screening was also sourced and applied to all windows immediately following the inspection, and additional privacy screens were installed.

The hospital also promised that it will “improve cleaning procedures to address the damaged floor, ensure thorough dirt removal, and effectively monitor the area’s cleanliness.”

It noted that funding to replace flooring has been approved, with work due to be completed at the end of November.