The wishes of residents at Castlebridge Manor nursing home in Co Wexford were disregarded when staff changed their incontinence pads during the night, disturbing their sleep, an inspection report reveals. A particular resident communicated to the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) inspectors that such a specific nightly practice despite their aversion to it disrupted their peaceful sleep.
Concerns over the low level of social interaction provided to certain highly-dependent inhabitants were raised by inspectors, noting the majority spent their day in their rooms, isolated with their televisions and had minimal staff interaction. The respect for residents’ preferred bedtime was found lacking, with some residents claimed early enforced bedtimes at 8pm contrary to their desires. By the time the sudden inspection commenced at 8pm, only 9 of the 81 residents occupied the communal spaces.
The overall satisfaction in terms of care, communication, services, leisure activities and even food quality was significantly low among the residents, as revealed in a survey. Various resident complaints were made about the food quality, stating it was often served cold, lacked taste and the fruit provided wasn’t always fresh. Regrettably, the registered caregivers didn’t take any measures to address the feedback, survey results or the residents’ meeting discussions concerning the poor food quality.
Additionally, the report pinpointed a failure by a Co Waterford community hospital to adequately protect residents from potential abuse. It was found that the Dungarvan Community Hospital failed to investigate incidents of unexplained bruising. Despite following up these incidents medically, the hospital failed to ensure that these incidents were not safeguarding concerns, contrary to its own policy.
The hospital, providing accommodation to nearly hundred older and dementia-stricken individuals, received criticism regarding its premises and management of key service areas. The report noted continuous non-compliance dating back to March 2020 related to the standard of the premises. The report further stated that the systems in place to manage crucial service areas were not assuringly safe, appropriate, consistent, or effectively overseen.
Evaluators pointed out that personnel were donned in personal protective equipment (PPE) during their assessment day, even though there was an absence of infection in the facility. This practice deviated from the national procedure, according to them. A resident, despite being free of infection, was kept in isolation, a move that contravened national guidance once again.
The review commended the level of care in the hospital. It was characterized as inviting with a calm and amiable environment.
In a separate inspection report for a care home for patients with disabilities and dementia, it was found that a spoon was used to unlock a fire exit. The inspectors of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) were extremely critical of the “unsatisfactory” fire safety measures at the Bushfield care home, situated near Oranmore, Co Galway. These inadequacies could potentially compromise the residents’ safety.
The facility’s fire extinguishers were past their serviceable dates and several fire exit doors were too narrow. This could hinder the removal of mattresses during a fire incident.
There were notable fire safety dangers revealed in the fire safety risk assessment and during this inspection. These issues included, but were not limited to, inappropriate storage protocols, escape routes, fire-containment, compartmentation boundaries, visible defects in fire doors, and inadequate emergency lighting. The report warned that these faults could lead to severe outcomes for residents in the event of a fire emergency.
The evaluators reported a considerable lack of progress by the provider in resolving fire hazards that had been previously identified in a 2022 report. Consequently, the provider was not complying with regulatory standards.