Rostrevor House closure confirmed

The closure of Rostrevor House nursing home, which has been at the centre of allegations of elder abuse, was confirmed at Dublin…

The closure of Rostrevor House nursing home, which has been at the centre of allegations of elder abuse, was confirmed at Dublin District Court this afternoon.

Judge Victor Blake, in making the final order, said he believed it was essential and to their credit that the Health Information and Quality Authority and their inspectors had acted in this case.

He said elderly people had to be protected in their hour of need.

The owners of the home, represented by Gavin Ralston SC, consented to the cancellation of its registration but said his clients wished it to be noted that they did so without any admission of wrongdoing. They no longer wished to continue the business.

Earlier this month Hiqa obtained an interim court order, without notice to the owners of the home, which effectively shut the facility.

It obtained the order after providing a sworn affidavit to the court which outlined allegations of serious physical and verbal abuse of five elderly residents at the private nursing home in Rathgar, Dublin, over a period dating back to mid-2008.

The authority also cited concerns about "an alarming history of falls, injuries and incidents" at the home. Sarah Lipsett, a director of the home, has claimed the allegations are unfounded.

Gardaí are now investigating the alleged abuses. After the interim court order was obtained on June 3rd the HSE took charge of the home and helped find alternative placements for its 23 residents. The last resident left the home yesterday.