Health inspectors have criticised the layout of an older person's facility in Leitrim as impacting negatively on the quality of life of its residents.
Hiqa inspected St Patrick's Community Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon in April of this year with building works on a new centre to begin in February of next year.
The unannounced inspection took place in April of this year and 32 residents were on the premises at the time.
Inspectors noted that while residents' needs were met, their quality of life and rights were "not optimised" due to the layout and organisation of the centre's environment.
Hiqa noted that residents' rights to privacy and dignity were significantly compromised in two bays providing bedroom accommodation for residents in Dr McGarry unit and in five bays providing accommodation for residents in Sheemore Unit.
Instead of bedrooms, residents were accommodated in bays developed from sectioning areas off with partitions. Access to the bays was from a common corridor that ran the length of the units and bedroom boundaries were defined by a screen curtain.
In the Dr McGarry unit, there was only one communal room and it was the only available space for 11 residents other than their bedrooms or bed spaces in this unit, and Hiqa noted that residents were observed to be spending long periods in bed or sitting beside their beds including eating their meals beside their beds.
Overall 12 areas inspected were compliant or substantially compliant, and four areas were non-compliant.
Feedback from residents who spoke with the inspector was positive regarding their accommodation, the opportunities provided for them to participate in social activities, the staff that cared for them and the standards of care that they received.
Responding to the report, the HSE confirmed that construction on the new facility is to begin on the 10th of February next year before it opens in 2025.
A series of other improvements are to be made in the interim including addressing red fire safety risks by the end of November next and upgrade works are to also take place to the bedroom bays in the Sheemore and Dr Mc Garry unit in the coming months.
The full report is available here:
