A nursing home in Dundalk had just one member of staff providing support for up to 17 residents with complex needs in a communal room and did not satisfactorily protect the privacy and dignity of residents, an inspection report has found. There was “major” non-compliance in the area of governance and management, suitable staffing, and residents’ rights and dignity. “Inspectors observed that some residents in the communal room on the ground floor displayed responsive behaviours including self-injurious behaviours and found that inadequate staffing contributed to the inadequate protection of vulnerable residents,” the report said. Inspectors observed there were a number of periods of the day when there was only one staff member available in a communal room to provide support for up to 17 residents with these complex needs. However, staff expressed concerns that due to insufficient staff resources they were unable to provide an adequate standard of care to residents, the report said.

Source: The Irish Times January 18, 2018 14:03 UTC