BED RAILS used as restraints in a nursing home resulted in injuries to some residents, a Health Information and Quality Authority report has found.
An authority investigation carried out in July on the Larchfield Park Nursing Home outside Naas, Co Kildare, identified significant safety and care problems at the home. It found that resident safety was seriously compromised due to inappropriate and unsafe use of bed rails as a means of restraint and that this had contributed to some accidents.
The authority required the private nursing home to submit an immediate plan to assess residents who used bed rails.
A number of the restraints were subsequently removed and appropriate alternatives put in place. Inspectors were also “very concerned” that some residents had experienced a high number of falls.
In one case a resident had 14 falls over a five-month period, one of which resulted in a serious injury.
Inspectors issued a directive requiring the nursing home to undertake a review of its care plans to prevent falls.
This resulted in 39 care-plan reviews being completed, a sample of which were reviewed by inspectors who found they accurately reflected the needs of residents.
The report also noted that inspectors had observed one incident in which two staff members lifted a resident from a chair in a manner which could have resulted in injury to the resident and employee.
The report also revealed that some locations in the centre were not kept in a clean and hygienic condition.
Inspectors noted there was a smell of urine in some areas of the home, including in the vicinity of the residents’ toilet, located in close proximity to the kitchen and main dining area.
In a response to the problems raised during the authority’s inspection the director of the nursing home, Sara Dillon, said risk assessments had been carried out on all residents requiring bed rails.
“It was always the policy of Larchfield Park Nursing Home to discuss the use of bed rails where bed rails were deemed necessary. However, we have since reviewed this practice and put in place alternatives where appropriate.
“Bed rails will now only be used where all other avenues of accident prevention have been exhausted,” said the provider.
In relation to the resident who had fallen on 14 occasions, the response noted that the “resident in question expressed her wish to mobilise. It was her choice and the implications and risks involved were fully explained to her.”
She expressed disappointment that the inspectors had observed the incorrect handling of a resident and that the home would endeavour to ensure this did not happen in future.
Responding to the finding that some parts of the centre were not maintained in a clean and hygienic condition, the provider said that this issue would be addressed immediately and that extra ventilation had already been installed in the toilet located near the kitchen.
“Overall we welcome the opportunity to be inspected by the authority, as it enhances our learning and ensures the continuous improvement to both our residents’ environment and their quality of life,” Ms Dillon said.