Report may force nursing home closure

Date Published: 19-Jan-2010

THE last remaining state-owned community nursing home in Galway City could be forced to close because it would not be “economically viable” to make the necessary alterations to bring it in line with national best practice, the Sentinel has learned.

An inspection of St Francis Nursing Home on Newcastle Road has raised serious concerns about the staff levels at the residence for older people – the facility has now stopped taking any more residents because of the Government ban on staff recruitment.

The report by HIQA (Health, Information AND Quality Authority) was also scathing of the condition the building is in, claiming the lack of shower and bathing facilities has affected residents’ dignity and health needs.

Following the publication of the report, health chiefs at the Health Service Executive are now seriously considering closing the nursing home as a long stay residence and may be used for Day Care, Health Care Clinics and Respite facilities instead. A new 50-bed nursing home may be built on an alternative site.

The HIQA inspection found that the nursing home, which is 33 years old, has limited bathing, showering and toilet facilities and the single bedrooms “were small in size with no en suite facilities” which meant that some residents had to queue for one of the limited number of toilets available.

There was one wheelchair accessible toilet provided for use by ten male residents who had single bedrooms. Two other toilets, which were not wheelchair accessible, were available for use by female residents who resided in single bedrooms.

Meanwhile, a ban on recruitment was also affecting the operation of the nursing home. Staff working at the facility reported to inspectors “that the workload was very high and that there were insufficient staff numbers and skill-mix on duty”.

In addition they stated that usually there are one or two nurses or four care assistants on-duty during the day, when there should be four nurses and four care assistants.

In response to the report, the HSE, the provider of the nursing home, said it was “awaiting national direction on recruitment of staff in 2010”.

It said there are now 30 residents at the home and currently eight of the 38 beds are closed. Eight staff have retired from the nursing home since 2008.

“We have completed HR forms and submitted them to the Local Health Manager for replacement staff. Regrettably there is no recruitment permitted in the public sector at this point and we do not know when this is likely to change,” it says in response.

HIQA inspectors had noted that there were no records maintained of any occupational therapy assessment or review, recommendations made or interventions required. In response the HSE said “the reduced number of beds at St Francis will not make it viable for the full-time continuation of Occupational Therapy there.”

In relation to the lack of toilets, the HSE said one room between every three will have to close in order to facilitate the installation of toilets, requiring an investment of up to €250,000.

It added: “This brings into question the future viability of St Francis Nursing Home Unit continuing as a long stay residential as the reduction in bed numbers to comply with the required facilities will reduce our bed numbers below 30 and therefore we will not have the economies of scale to make it a viable nursing home in the future as the price of a bed will be more than €1,300 per week.”

For the complete report see page 3 of this week’s Sentinel