Ratoath nursing home plans to expand as Covid trauma subsides

The full force of the pandemic hit nursing homes across the country with a vengeance last year.

Visiting was stopped, PPE was in short supply and unfortunately the death toll in nursing homes around the country was devastating.

One nursing home that escaped infection throughout the lockdowns was Ratoath Manor Nursing Home, part of a group that was recently awarded the title of Ireland's leading Nursing Home Provider by Public Sector Magazine.

“It was a difficult time for residents and their families.

'We were closed to visitors and it was a lonely time. We tried to make up for it with more activities in the home,” said Tom Finn CEO at Silver Stream Healthcare which runs Ratoath Manor.

'We managed to keep Covid-19 out of Ratoath Manor when things were really bad and we were one of the first nursing homes to have vaccinations.

“Since visiting resumed in July we have had a small number of positive cases, but nobody has had any symptoms or got sick so the vaccines are definitely working.

“When we had someone test positive all the precautions and isolation kicked in and we contained it,” he said.

Mr Finn said Covid-19 was one of the biggest challenges ever to face nursing homes.

“The staff were amazing and still are,” he said.

“The first thing we did when we heard about the pandemic was to stop visiting. This was very hard on everyone, the patients, their families and even the staff who were the only contact the residents had”.

When it came to personal protective equipment, Mr Finn said it had caught everybody off guard.

“Nobody was expecting to need so much of it, but the HSE responded quickly and shortage issue was resolved.

“It was a stressful time for staff and patients. We had serial testing to ensure it didn't get into the home, but the residents coped well with it.

“We had more activities to make up for the fact we couldn't have visitors or the usual outings we would normally have.

“The staff did a great job and it is great to be acknowledged as Ireland's leading Nursing Home Provider.

“The award is testament to the quality of care and resilience of our teams, who have all been operating on the front-line during extremely difficult circumstances, without compromising on the care and support given to our residents.”

Ratoath Manor Nursing Home, which has been run by Silverstream since 2003, isn't going to sit on its laurels as there are plans to extend the facility to incorporate revolutionary new knowledge in dementia care.

“We are engaging with a company in the UK who are experts in dementia care and dementia architecture.

“We plan to build an extension to Ratoath with a dementia care unit with specially designed flooring and layout to help maximise memory and sustain it as long as possible.”

He explains that this building work was delayed because of Covid-19 last year.

“We have to extend planning permission, but we expect work to begin next year. At the moment, we are freshening up the building and investing in it.”

Mr Finn says that Ratoath Manor has a great relationship with the local community.

“It is a lovely community and it is great to be part of that.”

The nursing home, which was formerly run the Augustinian sisters, currently caters for up to 60 residents.

Silver Stream runs seven homes across Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Tipperary, catering for over 350 residents. The company's headquarters is in Ratoath.