Sir, – We need a deeper understanding of why some care staff behaved as presented on RTÉ's Prime Time on Tuesday night. When the Ryan report on child abuse was published in 2009, our national conversation seemed to blame the religious congregations, instead of the dehumanising effect of large residential settings.
Although there are many kind staff, there is no such thing as a good large residential setting for people with intellectual disabilities. No amount of training, resources, investigations or inspections will ever change a culture in which people can be treated as less than human. No one would want to live in an institution. No one would choose to live apart from his or her loved ones and away from neighbours. So why are institutions good enough for 3,700 of our most vulnerable citizens? The only answer is institutional closure. Then the work of social inclusion may begin. – Yours, etc,
Dr BRIAN McCLEAN,
Senior Clinical Psychologist,
Athlone,
Co Roscommon.
Sir, – Your newspaper quotes HSE director general Tony O'Brien: "Much of what was viewed on Prime Time falls well below the standards that we expect in the health services. Such standards should not and will not be tolerated in the HSE" ("HSE issues apology over Áras Attracta mistreatment", December 10th).
The irony is not lost on some of us. While the head of the organisation responsible for health provision in the State is rightly indignant about what happened to vulnerable citizens with a learning disability in Co Mayo, that same organisation continues to preside over a system whereby medically ill, vulnerable children as young as 15 and below are being wrongly “housed” in adult psychiatric hospitals even as we speak. One can’t help wondering if the children would be treated differently if the hospitals were located beside the Dáil? – Yours, etc,
Dr KIERAN MOORE,
Consultant Child
and Adolescent Psychiatrist,
Ros Mhic Triúin,
Co Chill Cheannaigh.
Sir, – In 2010 the McCoy report into the abuse of intellectually impaired people in a Brothers of Charity institution was published. This was after an almost 10-year fight by myself to uncover the awful regime there. McCoy did not go further than describing the abuses. I fought to have further investigations but to no avail.
This is what happens in Ireland – first the “scandal”, then the inquiry (a description of what happened), finally the report, and then nothing.
Unless there is a root-and-branch reform of the cultural ethos within such residences, we will see more such instances of abuse. – Yours, etc,
Dr MARGARET KENNEDY,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Surely if bank workers and shop workers are filmed while at work, the same should be done in care units and homes to protect those who cannot speak for themselves from being victims of the same horrific abuse of power. – Yours, etc,
HAZEL McNAMEE,
South Circular Road,
Dublin 8.
Sir,–RTÉ is to be congratulated and deserves our gratitude for bringing to light this terrible abuse. – Yous, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The Irish Council of Professors, Deans, Heads of Nursing and Midwifery is a group which seeks to represent the perspectives of nurses and midwives in the third-level education sector. The council wishes to respond to the key points raised by the Prime Time documentary, which presented images of physical and emotional abuse and neglect of individuals with intellectual disabilities residing in Unit 3, Áras Attracta, Swinford, Co Mayo.
Members of the council are shocked and saddened by the contents of the documentary and are ashamed to contemplate that nurses were associated with the care provision in Unit 3 as outlined by the programme.
While it was acknowledged that there were examples of good practice in Áras Attracta, the most shocking aspect was the scale and nature of the abusive practices which were perpetrated and in which others were complicit by their refusal to intervene. The documentary portrayed scenes of vulnerable female residents being force-fed, roughly handled, and compelled to stay in chairs for extensive times. The casual and seemingly routine nature of the abusive care appeared to be an endemic part of the culture within Unit 3.
This documentary provides visual confirmation that the systems designed to protect vulnerable individuals have failed. The report challenges us to reflect on methods used to date in the education of healthcare professionals and in particular to focus on the caring, nurturing and safeguarding role of the nurse in the care of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Perhaps most importantly consideration needs to be given to the approaches used to support individuals to report or whistleblow on instances of poor care provision, misconduct and disrespect that they witness in clinical settings. In addition, within schools of nursing and midwifery we are committed to ensuring that nurses recognise that they are failing in their role if they do not report instances of poor care provision, misconduct or disrespect that they witness in clinical settings.
The council is willing to engage with any official inquiry to explore what can be improved in the education, training and continuous professional development of healthcare professionals and to assist in the process of informing how to move forward in terms of education, research and utilisation of future technologies. – Yours, etc,
Prof JOSEPHINE
HEGARTY,
Chairwoman,
Irish Council of Professors,
Deans and Heads of Nursing
and Midwifery,
University College Cork.
Sir, – I was and still am extremely shocked and upset by what I saw on the Prime Time programme. I am an occupational therapist and have worked in the profession for over 40 years. During that time I have worked in various settings, and more recently I have worked with adults with intellectual disabilities who live in communal houses, as well as in day centres where clients live at home but attend activity-based programmes.
The one issue that has struck me as an occupational therapist is that in most, but not all, of these settings, there is a lack of meaningful occupation for both staff and residents. As humans, occupation is a basic need. In many places, day programmes are set in place, whether leisure activities or work-based activities, which give meaning to both staff and residents.
There are activities which can be carried out, whether supported, assisted or adapted to match the needs and abilities of the residents or clients.
Over the past several years, occupational therapists have been unable to find work in this country. Members of the profession have a valuable contribution to make to the care and welfare of this client group. – Yours, etc,
VALERIE CRIBBIN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.