Hiqa ‘too slow’ tackling chaotic nursing home
THE brother of one of six residents who died at a nursing home has said the health watchdog should have intervened earlier.
The Health Information and Quality Authority secured a court order to take control of the Oaklands Nursing Home in Listowel, Co. Kerry, after inspectors found ‘a centre in chaos’.
Six residents died after testing positive for Covid-19, with the judge describing it as ‘a serious risk to life and welfare of persons in the centre’.
Health watchdogs entered the facility at 5pm on Thursday, placing all 38 residents under the HSE’s care.
However, a brother of one of the residents who died said the takeover came a week too late.
Gerry Kennedy told RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline that the HSE takeover came just six days after his brother, Seán, died in the Listowel nursing home.
The damning inquiry by Hiqa found that there had been no person in charge at the Oaklands Nursing Home since early May. The HSE took over after an emergency order was granted by the District Court earlier that day.
Gerry said his brother Seán, 77, had been in the nursing home for four years. He died after contracting Covid-19 earlier this month.
Gerry argued that while the staff in the nursing home were ‘very, very good’, Hiqa and the HSE should have acted sooner. He said: ‘It was an awful experience. To be compounded by the publication about the [HSE] takeover, that has just made things worse.
‘None of the families were told that Hiqa were making the approach to the courts. It is bringing the whole thing back up again and it rubs salt in the wounds. My brother’s children are heartbroken.’
The lengthy Hiqa report found that board meetings between the management company of Bolden (Nursing) Ltd, which ran Oaklands, had ceased in recent months. It was also discovered on June 18 that ‘the general manager had submitted a notice of resignation to Bolden and was currently serving her notice period’. A new general manager had been appointed but Hiqa noted there were no formal handover arrangements in place ahead of their July 2 start date.
Responding last night, Hiqa said: ‘On November 19, 2020... an order was made by Kerry District Court cancelling the registration of Oaklands Nursing Home... as a designated centre under Part 8 of the Health Act 2007. In the interests of the health, safety and quality of life of the residents... the HSE was directed to take charge of the nursing home from November 19.’