'Safety risk' to residents at south Longford care home highlighted by HIQA

Staff at a south Longford nursing home were not appropriately supervised and skilled to ensure that residents' needs were met at all times, which 'posed a risk to residents' safety', according to a new report.

An unannounced HIQA inspection took place at Thomond Lodge Nursing Home on August 22 last and it was found to be 'non-compliant' in five out of 12 regulatory areas staffing, governance and management, notification of incidents, managing behaviour that is challenging and protection.

The Ballymahon-based care home provides 24-hour nursing care to 48 residents, male and female, who require long-term and short-term care assessment, rehabilitation, convalescence and respite.

The HIQA inspection focused on reviewing the measures the provider had in place to safeguard residents from abuse, to promote their rights and empower them to protect themselves from harm and exercise choice over their lives.

Thomond Lodge Nursing Home was deemed to be compliant in four regulatory areas communication difficulties, personal possessions, residents' rights and premises and substantially compliant in terms of training and staff development, risk management and individual assessment and care plan.

"While the number and skill-mix of staff were regularly reviewed, the number of staff available on the day of the inspection did not ensure that there was adequate staff available to respond to residents' needs whilst maintaining their safety and promoting their rights," the HIQA inspector stated. "This was evidenced by the [fact] adequate numbers of staff were not available to assist a resident in the sitting room despite their repeated requests to go to the toilet."

The report outlined that "although the management and staff demonstrated a commitment to providing a person-centred service to residents, and they enjoyed a good quality of life in the centre, this inspection found that residents' safety was not assured and that they were not appropriately safeguarded from the risk of harm and abuse at all times".

The HIQA inspector said staff were not available to "ensure the safety needs of a resident at immediate risk of slipping from their chair in the sitting room" and in the absence of other staff availability, the activity coordinator had to interrupt residents' social activities to care for this resident and mitigate their risk of falling.

The HIQA report stated there was no staff other than the activity coordinator with the residents in the sitting room and 'the provider did not ensure that there were adequate staffing resources' or effective care delivery in accordance with the designated centre’s statement of purpose (SOP).

"Staff did not remain with residents in the communal areas, and as a result, they were not available to respond to their needs for assistance in a timely manner," the inspectors said. "This finding posed a risk to residents' safety."

The provider's oversight and management systems to identify, manage and respond to risk and ensure residents' safety were not adequate.

The inspector noted that several peer-to-peer safeguarding incidents were not recognised and managed as safeguarding incidents and were not appropriately reported and investigated in the centre.

Thomond Lodge were asked by HIQA how they intended to 'come into compliance' with their staffing requirements and they said a 'full-time, dedicated activity coordinator is in place, whose sole responsibility is the planning, coordination, and delivery of the activity programme'.

"With the extra person rostered this will allow more focused attention on activities to enhance the residents' social engagement in activities without disruption."

In terms of protection, the provider said 'accidents and incidents are reviewed daily and prompt and appropriate action will be taken when safeguarding issues are identified'.

They also pledged to ensure there was 'early consultation with families when safeguarding issues arise'.

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