A well known local care home has seen a significant decline in compliance over the last year according to a recent HIQA inspection.
The Health Information and Quality Authority conducted an unannounced inspection of St Joseph's Care Home on the Dublin Road in Longford Town in November 2024. In their report, the service was found to be non compliant in eight regulations, substantially compliant in four and fully compliant in just three areas.
St Joseph's Care Centre provides 24 hour care for up to 65 residents of varying needs such as dementia, brain injury and respite care. The centre comprises of two single storey buildings containing five units, with communal rooms and internal gardens.
Staffing was a significant concern raised by inspectors, as the HSE did not ensure that the number of and skill mix of staff was adequate to meet the needs of residents. This, according to HIQA resulted in poor care practices and limited opportunities for recreational activities for residents.
Training and staff development was also highlighted as problematic, with staff not appropriately supervised to ensure they carried out their work to required standards. Residents' care plan assessments and documentation were not adequately completed by staff, while other issues were such as leaving personal consumables in communal areas was also highlighted.
The report states that the provider was not operating the centre in line with their statement of purpose and that there had been a failure to ensure the resources were in place to guarantee person centred effect and safe care. The HIQA inspection described how overly restrictive practices such as keypad locked doors limited residents' opportunities to engage in meaningful social interactions with each other and staff.
While overall, residents had access to timely medical and health expertise, improvements were needed for service users who were at risk of skin breakdown or bed sores. Other non compliances included the management of challenging behaviour, resident protection, healthcare and resident rights.
Substantial compliance's were recorded in the premises, fire prevention and infection control regulations. St Joseph's Care Centre were awarded full compliance in notification of incidents, statement of purpose and visitation.
The HSE has confirmed a series of actions to tackle the issues raised by the HIQA report. These include changes to staffing procedure, training and the availability of recreational activity for residents.
