Threat of closure at controversial Áras Attracta care home is lifted
The Áras Attracta care home is no longer being threatened with closure.
HIQA says while it's happy there have been improvements at the Co Mayo facility, some concerns remain that will need to be addressed.
Áras Attracta - which provides residential care to people with intellectual disabilities - first came under scrutiny in 2014 when some of its staff were accused of abuse.
Changes were made, but the home was informed last September that its registration would be cancelled as it had consistently failed to address problems.
HIQA carried out inspections in January and now says Áras Attracta can apply for registration as a care home as improvements have been made.
These include residents now being afforded more choice in how they spend their day and in how they decorate their bedrooms.
Residents and their families can also now participate in making decisions that affect them.
However HIQA says it's concerned about the sustainability of these improvements and says further action is needed in several areas.
These include increasing opportunities for residents to participate in education and employment, training staff to ensure they meet residents' needs and updating staff files.
The HSE has submitted a plan on how it will deal with these issues and HIQA says it will continue to monitor the situation.
