Nursing home inspections to begin today
The first independent inspections of all nursing homes will begin nationwide today.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will be responsible for the registration and inspection of all private and voluntary nursing homes.
Dr Marion Witton, chief inspector of Social Services at the HIQA, said: “This new development in the regulation of nursing homes is a significant step forward in the protection of the rights of older people living in residential care settings across the country.
“Residents, relatives and the public will know what to expect in a residential care setting, regardless of where the service is located or who delivers it.
“Our aim is to safeguard and drive improvements in the quality of life of older people by emphasising what life should be like for people living in residential care.”
Services will only be allowed to operate if they are registered by the Social Services Inspectorate and they will be inspected regularly to ensure they maintain a high level of care.
If the HIQA’s inspectors find that a service is unsafe or the standards are not being met, the chief inspector will have the legal power to take a number of actions in the best interest of the residents.
These include requiring changes to the service be made, prosecuting for offences under the Health Act 2007 or cancelling registration of a centre - so it will no longer be able to operate.
Inspections will begin across the country in the coming months. They will take place at any time during the day or night and may be either announced or unannounced.
The registration and inspection process will be completely independent and reports will be published after every inspection.
“We will report publicly on what it is like to be a resident in each centre,” Dr Witton said.
“As well as their protection and safety, we are also concerned with the quality of life of individual residents. If they have choices about what time they get up in the morning, what food they eat, how their day is spent.
“The things that are important to every one of us in our daily lives are no less important to those living in residential care. It is our role to promote the rights of individuals and ensure that all residents are treated with dignity and respect.”
All inspection reports will be available to download from the Health Information and Quality Authority’s website, www.hiqa.ie.
Age Action said the developoment marks a milestone on the road to protecting some of the most vulnerable older people in our society.
“It is very significant that, for the first time, all homes – public, private and voluntary – will be inspected by an independent agency using the same standards for all,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.
“The new standards should also help to improve the quality of life of the 21,000 older people currently in full-time residential care by ensuring their opinions are heard and acted upon by nursing home management.”
However, the charity warned that inspections alone will not necessarily mean an end to the litany of chronic institutional abuse which has occurred in Irish nursing homes, both public and private.
“Together with the inspections and the new standards we need training for staff, and then proper supervision of staff to ensure they are doing what they were trained to do,” Mr Timmins said.
“When it comes to protecting the most vulnerable nursing home residents, such as those with reduced mental capacity and those without family, it is important that all staff and visitors remain vigilant for signs of sub-standard care.”
