Derrybeg nursing home criticised by HIQA for non-compliant premises

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) criticised the premises of a Derrybeg nursing home, ruling the centre’s premises not compliant with regulations.

Aras Gaoth Dobhair, situated by Derrybeg, was found to have several faults with the premises by HIQA inspectors during an inspection carried out in May. 

The designated centre, run by Bainistiocht Aras Gaoth Dobhair Cuideachta Faoi Theorainn Rathaiochta (Aras Gaoth Dobhair Management Limited Company Guaranteed), was found to have non-compliant bed spaces and “insufficient storage facilities.”

Inspectors also found Aras Gaoth Dobhair not compliant with the regulation of Residents’ Rights, however, the conduct of staff at the centre was praised. 

Aras Gaoth Dobhair was found to be substantially compliant in most of the 16 category regulations judged by inspectors.

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The centre, which has been operating since 2004 and is registered to accommodate 41 residents, provides continuing, convalescent, and respite care to male and female residents, primarily over 65 years of age. 

A dementia unit can accommodate 20 residents, and the general unit can accommodate 21 residents.

Inspectors said they saw unused wheelchairs that had not been stored securely, and found lying in the car park, and stated that the centre’s premises were “not maintained in a good state of repair externally and internally.”

There was “insufficient furniture in the garden areas for residents to sit and relax,” and  the walls in the dementia-specific unit “were chipped and unsightly.”

Trip hazards were found with the marmoleum floor covering of the corridors, which were “uneven”, and external pathways around the centre were “covered with moss.” 

Bed spaces of the four-bedded rooms “did not allow each resident to have a comfortable chair beside the bed and a bedside locker,” and “emergency call-bells had not been provided in an oratory,” meaning “the residents could not call staff when they needed assistance while they were in this room.”

Regarding residents’ rights, inspectors observed “that residents did not have a choice as to where to have their meals,”  and activities in the garden area were “limited,” which impacted “the residents’ choice of where to have their activities, or where they could spend time.”

Furthermore, “the provider’s systems in place to uphold residents’ right to privacy and dignity were not fully effective,” with inspectors giving the example of unfolded privacy screens in bedrooms, which “could not fully enclose the bed space of residents to ensure their privacy needs. And this was a repeated finding.” 

HIQA inspectors did praise staff interaction for being “respectful” with residents’ needs, “attended to promptly,” and “fluently in Gaeilge.”

The report said that “the inspectors also observed that the staff followed correct moving and handling procedures” and that “staff consistently upheld the privacy and dignity of the residents.”