AN INSPECTION of a nursing home found that its secure unit for people with Alzheimer’s had shortcomings in staffing, hygiene and use of the onsite facilities, including a sensory garden.
The findings were made during an official inspection of the College View nursing home in Cavan town by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
Overall, the inspectors found the home was well-managed. However, it was critical of the special-care unit, which has 12 beds for people with cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s.
The inspectors spoke with residents of the home who said they could make decisions about their daily life and they spoke well of staff, saying they were treated with “dignity and respect.”
The report said there was a high standard of private and communal space and the environment was bright and comfortable. Staff received ongoing professional development, supervision and support. It found that “hygiene levels were of a high standard in most of the centre with the exception of the special-care unit”.
On the afternoon of their visit, the inspectors saw one staff member on duty in the special-care unit.
“This person was busy walking two of the 12 residents up and down the corridor, one resident had a visitor while the rest of the residents were in their bedrooms or in the sitting room unsupervised. This practice impinged on residents’ care and their right to fulfilment, dignity and respect.”
Overall, the food in the home was said to be of a very high standard but it felt this was not the case in the special-care unit.
“Residents in this unit were not all seated at tables for their meals. Although care plans described individual assessment for those residents who required feeding assistance, this was not reflected in observed practice and did not promote person-centred care.”
The unit was also criticised when it came to using the gardens.
“There were extensive external facilities around the centre including a sensory garden. However, residents . . . needing assistance reported that they rarely went outdoors but if they wished, staff were always willing to wheel them around the grounds.”
The report outlined a nine-point plan to address the shortcomings and all are being implemented.
Proprietor Bridie Kiernan O’Donnell responded: “I believe that the criticism levelled at standards within the special-care unit is unfair and tarnishes the report . . .
“The activity therapist will spend more time with these residents in the special-care unit, but consideration must be given to level of dementia, advanced age and limits of these clients.”
She also said the meals in the special care unit were “the same choices offered to these residents as the rest of the nursing home residents and staff”, adding there were “factual inaccuracies” in the report.
Hiqa has so far inspected 150 of the 600 registered nursing homes in the State.