Connacht Tribune
HSE nursing home criticised again over standards
A nursing home run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) has once again failed to comply with regulations that ensure premises are safe and suitable.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has highlighted problems at Merlin Park Community Nursing Unit following an inspection of the facility.
“The current design and layout is institutional and impacts negatively on the residents’ privacy and dignity,” the latest HIQA report states.
Despite repeatedly highlighting this issue, the HSE’s timeframe to address the concerns is set out as December 2020, and “plans to provide a new centre were not available” to HIQA.
The inspection found that the building was non-compliant with regulatory requirements due to the configuration of bedrooms in multi-occupancy rooms. The toilet facilities also compromised the privacy of residents. This was similar to previous inspections.
The inspection took place in April and the report has just been released. The centre is registered to accommodate 52 residents and there were 45 on the day of inspection.
The majority of residents in the centre were assessed as having either maximum or high dependency needs.
“On the previous inspection the premises was found to resemble a clinical/hospital setting rather than that of a long term residential centre. A total of 10 bedrooms were multi-occupancy rooms accommodating four residents which impacted on the residents’ privacy and affected the time they got to sleep and were awoken at as any noise from other residents affected all residents in the multi-occupancy rooms.
“Residents had privacy screens around their beds during person care but the inspector observed that residents resting in their beds could be viewed from the hallway by other residents or visitors to the centre. Separate bathroom facilities were provided on each unit. Some toilet facilities provided were in shared cubicles which were partitioned by a light wooden structure which did not afford privacy. The inspector was informed that these were for use by visitors however this was not clearly indicated on the signage,” the report said.
The HSE said efforts had been made to make the units homelier for residents – bedrooms had been repainted and new curtains provided between beds since the last inspection.
Two bedrooms which were not open at the time of the last inspection due to a water leak had been brought back into service.
The report added: “The walls and skirting board on the corridors in both units were however still chipped and damaged and required repainting. The inspector found that other than painting a hall table at the entrance to unit five, there was little evidence of any work to make the reception area more homely.”
At the previous inspection the HSE said the centre was to be allocated a new building. During the latest inspection, the inspector was told the design brief was being worked on by the HSE estates department, “but no plans were available at the time of this inspection”.
During the last inspection, it was identified that there was no mechanically operated extract ventilation to remove smoke from the room designated for smoking. This action was not addressed, either, although the HSE was still within the agreed time frame to rectify this.
Apart from not meeting compliance on regulations, the unit was mostly compliant.
In total, eleven of the actions from the last inspection were addressed. A further three were partially addressed. It was not possible to review two actions as documentation was not available and three actions were not addressed, the report added.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
