BIG IMPROVEMENTS have been made at a public nursing home in St Vincent’s Hospital in Co Kildare to address major flaws in the provision of care, a report by the State watchdog has found.
The Health Information and Quality Authority said it has identified significant improvements relating to the quality of life for dependent residents during a follow-up inspection in November.
Inspectors found the home had provided meaningful activities for residents, who previously had spent long periods in their beds with little opportunity for meaningful engagement. An assessment of the needs of all dependent residents has taken place and more specialised chairs had been provided to residents, they said.
Residents and staff told the inspectors this had resulted in residents attending activities, going on outings and going out for fresh air, according to the follow-up report.
The follow-up inspection followed a scathing initial inspection in July, which found residents had been left in their beds for days at a time and faced the “pervasive use” of restraints such as bed rails and lap belts. The authority also uncovered errors in medication records, structural deficits in the premises, staff shortages and no strategic vision for the home based at St Vincent’s Hospital, which has 153 residents.