Carndonagh Community Hospital receives glowing report from HIQA

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) released a report for Carndonagh Community Hospital with the staff being compliant in every department.

HIQA carried out an unannounced inspection on May 14. The inspection was carried out by Nikhil Sureshkumar between 9:55 am and 4:55pm. There were 28 residents in the hospital at the time.

Overall, the residents enjoyed a good quality of life in the designated centre. Many residents spoke positively about their experience of living in Carndonagh Community Hospital.

The centre has three units: Elm Ward, Oak Ward, and Ard Aoibhinn, which is a dementia-specific unit. The dementia-specific unit had undergone extensive refurbishment work to bring the centre into compliance with the regulations and was closed to admissions at the time of this inspection.

There were adequate numbers and skill mix of staff to meet the assessed needs of residents. There were clear processes in place to keep staffing resources under review and ensure appropriate levels of staff were available. All staff had attended the required mandatory training to enable them to care for residents safely.

The HIQA report stated “The provider had several management systems to ensure oversight and management of the care and services provided to the residents. These systems included a structured induction programme, handover reports, safety pauses, and quality improvement audits. Staff and management meetings were held regularly, and the minutes of those meetings were available for the inspector to review on the day of the inspection. There was a clear management structure in place. This structure was in line with the provider's statement of purpose. Staff and residents were familiar with the management team and said they were approachable. The provider had ensured that the resources required to complete extensive fire safety improvement and refurbishment work in the centre were available and had completed the works within the time frames committed to the Chief Inspector. The provider had completed an annual review of the quality and safety of care delivered to residents in 2023.”

The premises were well maintained and appropriate to the number of residents living in the centre. The provider had completed the refurbishment of the Ard Aoibhinn dementia-specific unit. The inspector observed this had been completed to a high standard.

Residents' needs were comprehensively assessed using validated assessment tools, such as malnutrition universal screening tools and pressure ulcer risk assessments tools at regular intervals. There was evidence of ongoing discussion and consultation with the families in relation to the development of resident care plans. Residents' care plans and daily nursing notes were recorded on an electronic documentation system. Staff are knowledgeable about the individual needs of residents. 

Staff ensured that residents with communication difficulties could communicate freely and that a care plan was in place. 

The layout of the centre met the needs of the residents. The layout of the four twin-bedded rooms on the newly refurbished Ard Aoibhinn unit had been revised to ensure residents' privacy needs were met.  These rooms would not be suitable for residents who required the use of portable hoists or specialist chairs due to the available space around each resident's bed for safe moving and handling. 

Residents had timely access to general practitioners (GPs) from local practices, allied health professionals and specialist medical and nursing services.

An activity person was allocated to support residents' needs, and residents had access to a range of meaningful activities. Those residents who wished to go out into the local community were supported to do so.

Staff were aware of their responsibility to ensure resident's privacy and dignity were upheld. Staff practices throughout the day showed that they used privacy curtains and doors when providing personal care. Staff were seen to knock on residents' doors before they entered their bedrooms. They were mindful or confidentiality when discussing residents with the inspector