Garda inquiry into care home complaint

Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating a complaint in relation to the care received by a man at an elderly care unit in…

Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating a complaint in relation to the care received by a man at an elderly care unit in Ennis, Co Clare.

Cappahard Lodge long-stay residence is run by the Health Service Executive, which confirmed on Monday that it would get an external team to investigate complaints about standards of care in the unit.

Some members of the family of Gerard Finn (69), from Kilrush, complained to the HSE about the manner in which he was cared for there. Mr Finn, who had Alzheimer's disease, died last month, but the complaints had been made before his death. He had been a resident in the facility, part of Clare mental health services, since December 2005.

Supt John Scanlan, of Ennis Garda station, said yesterday: "We are investigating a complaint in relation to the home."

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In a statement, the HSE said it was aware of a Garda investigation into the complaints made by family members in relation to Mr Finn's treatment and care. "The HSE is co-operating fully with this investigation."

It added that the external review it had ordered into procedures and practices at Cappahard Lodge was commissioned before Mr Finn's death.

"Following concerns raised in relation to the management and treatment of patients at Cappahard Lodge by a number of parties, including staff, the HSE decided in May that an external independent review would be undertaken. The review will be chaired by Dr Donald Lyons, director of the mental welfare commission of Scotland."

Psychiatric Nurses Association general secretary Des Kavanagh said: "We welcome this investigation and we are glad to co-operate fully in the matter. Any allegation in relation to patient care should be investigated; we have no problem with that. Any investigation will demonstrate the quality of care available at Cappahard. These allegations, however, are unfounded and absurd."

The HSE, in its statement, said it had concluded an investigation into complaints made by some of the Finn family last January and found "no abusive actions had taken place, that nursing and medical care provided for Mr Finn was appropriate and that no further investigation was warranted".

Further complaints then came in from Mr Finn's family.

Jack Keaveney, of Reachout, which raises awareness of issues relating to the safety and wellbeing of older people, said he visited the unit in February and had significant concerns. He sent a five-page report to the HSE and copied it to Minister for Health Mary Harney and to gardaí in Ennis.

Mr Keaveney said the HSE had been slow to set up the review. When his organisation referred details of calls to its elder abuse helpline to the HSE little was done about them. The helpline number is 1800 940 010.