Nursing homes failed to meet HIQA standards in number of areas after unannounced inspection

Two Meath nursing homes failed to meet the necessary standards in a number of important areas, according to the most recent HIQA report published.

The health standards authority has published the results of four unannounced Meath inspections that took place between 29th June and 1st September this year.

Moorehall Lodge Nursing Home outside Drogheda was found to be non-compliant in nine areas out of 17 areas, including infection control, risk management and patient rights.

Kilbrew Nursing Home outside Ashbourne was found non-compliant in six areas out of 17, including risk management, infection control and condition of the premises.

Hillview Nursing Home, Rathfeigh, was found to be complaint in 11 areas out of 16 and substantially compliant in a further four.

St Joseph's Community Nursing Home in Trim was compliant in 15 areas out of 17 and substantially compliant in the other two.

At Moorehall Lodge inspectors found unclean equipment in residents' en-suite and sluice rooms. These included wash hand basins, unhygienic mop buckets and mop heads.

The tag system in place to enable staff identify whether communal equipment such as slings, or hoists had been decontaminated was not consistently implemented in practice and the report stated the storage of items on the floor did not promote appropriate sanitisation, including personal protective equipment (PPE), residents' and staff personal belongings and residents’ continence wear.

The Inspectors said they were not assured that adequate precautions against the risk of fire were in place and stairwells were being used as temporary staff changing facilities, storage areas under the stairwells were being used to store flammable materials, including decorations and historical residents records, without appropriate fire safety equipment in place, and access to emergency evacuation equipment in some stairwells was restricted by equipment.

The report states that there were not sufficient opportunities for residents to engage in meaningful activities and a number of residents told inspectors that they felt bored and that they were not informed of any activities taking place in the centre. The inspectors observed two occasions where staff did not respond in a timely manner to residents' requests to go to their bedroom or use the bathroom, and access to outdoor space for the residents living on the upper floors was restricted and dependent on staff availability

However, residents and relatives feedback was largely positive on the care received and the commitment of staff to look after their needs.

The HIQA inspectors found that the resources available at Kilbrew Nursing Home “did not enable or support staff to meet best practice in infection prevention and control.”

Sterilization machines were out of order at the time of the inspection, appropriate sluicing facilities were not available, clinical wash hand basins were not readily available to staff in areas where they might be required to manage outbreaks of infection such as on corridors where resident's bedrooms were located.

Risks were identified on the inspection including haphazard and disorganized storage, broken equipment and location of bottles of hand sanitising liquids on hand rails in corridors.

Overall, inspectors found that residents were well looked after, were supported and assisted to be as independent as possible in their day to day life and felt content with life in the centre.

In the report on Hillview Nursing home, the inspector found the centre to be warm, bright, clean and free from clutter. Residents provided extremely positive feedback about their life in the centre. They were happy living there, with one resident describing it as 'a home from home'. Residents said that they were enabled to maintain their independence and their rights were upheld in the centre.

The inspector observed staff using good hand hygiene practices and ensuring residents were maintaining social distancing when seated in communal areas. There was PPE (personal protective equipment) including hand sanitisers available to staff throughout the centre.

Hillview Nursing Home was fund to be non-compliant in the process of registering or renewing its registration.

At St Joseph's Community Nursing Unit inspectors found that residents were well looked after, that they were content and were enjoying a meaningful life. From interactions with residents and observations made on the day, it was evident that residents were happy and that it was a homely and comfortable place to live. A comfortable familiarity was seen to exist between residents, visitors and members of staff.

It was noted that a wash hand basin was not provided in the laundry facilities, and orientation signage to identify the use of each room in the centre was not in place.