TAOISEACH Micheal Martin promised there would be an examination into how HIQA during failed to identify “very horrific and shocking behaviour towards elderly people in nursing homes”.
Shocking undercover footage broadcast by RTE Investigates this week showed residents crying for help, left in soiled clothes and being incorrectly handled.
The RTE Investigates programme uncovered a litany of care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, north Dublin.
Both are run by Ireland’s top private nursing home provider Emeis Ireland, who have apologised for the failings.
Reacting to the disturbing footage, the Fianna Fail leader said it was absolutely unacceptable.
Speaking in Cork at Star of the Sea Primary School, which was celebrating it’s 25th anniversary, the Taoiseach said: “It illustrated in terms of the governance of those nursing homes, the ownership, a lack of a clear ethos and ethical framework in terms of respecting the dignity of every human being, of every person living in those nursing homes.
“We think of the families who had to watch that, who placed their loved ones in the care of those homes. It is quite shocking. It is not acceptable. HIQA are in there today.”
He also stressed that there are issues in terms of HIQA’s approach to the situation – especially as one of the nursing homes at the centre of the RTE doc showed a lack of compliance.
He said: “I think they will be examining that aspect of it in terms of the manners and methodology used to inspect, even though these are unannounced inspections, when they happen.
“I think we have to stand back and take a look at how in one case anyway the inspections did reveal a lack of compliance, in another, not so, and that needs to be examined as to how that came about and are there better ways of getting in under this to make sure that this does not happen again.
“There will have to be increased vigilance from the regulatory approach and that is something that government will be looking at”.
Amid the fallout from the explosive RTE show, the Health Information and Quality Authority confirmed this week that it had moved to halt admissions to The Residence Portlaoise.
REVIEW UNDERWAY
The inspection body also revealed that a review of all nursing homes operated by the Emeis Ireland group was underway.
Minister Kieran O’Donnell held talks with HIQA to discuss issues raised in the RTE Investigates programme.
And he said he now expects HIQA and the Chief Inspector to use all their available powers to improve the situation.
Quizzed on the shocking doc footage, Taoiseach Martin dismissed suggestions that there was a lack of focus on the part of the government on the complex needs of elderly people.
He said: “There is a very clear focus. There is a multi-stranded approach to aging in this country.
“We are aging. We are one of the more younger populations in Europe but we are aging fast.
PRIORITY TO RESIDENTS
“So for example we have doubled expenditure on home care to well over €800 million.
“We do have private nursing homes and we have public nursing homes and public institutions which tend to deal with more acute patients.
“I spoke with the Minister O’Donnell, who was very much on this, and Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as well, but there is a full look now at all homes under the ownership of this group.”
He added: “Our priority at this stage is those living in the nursing homes.”
