Covid files at OAP home full of gaps

Hiqa team on inspection after spate of deaths report records lost or missing

HIQA inspectors at a nursing home tragically affected by Covid-19 found so many gaps in the home’s records they could not even tell how many residents or staff had the virus.

The speed with which the virus travelled through the home shocked families.

Some told the Irish Mail on Sunday they did not know about the problems until reading the Hiqa report published last week.

In June, inspectors visited Brook vale Nursing Home, Co. Mayo, run by Brindley Healthcare group, following the tragic deaths of nine residents from confirmed or suspected Covid. They also received anonymous complaints which form part of the report, they state.

They said records were ‘inadequate’ and they could not count how many staff or residents had

‘She died alone and with no family around’

Covid, and they noted many typical files or rosters were missing.

Others were handed over following ‘inexplicable delays’ and some gave contradictory information.

The watchdog inspectors found nurses working alone with up to 37 residents at a time, and at least two occasions when no nurse was rostered.

One nurse clocked in at 6pm on April 23, finished at 8am on April 24 and then returned to work again at 2pm that same day for another six hours.

One cleaner was working across the whole nursing home, covering both the infected and non-infected rooms.

Overall, the home was marked ‘non-compliant’ in eight of the nine standards inspected, and given an orange rating, just below the most serious band of red.

This is in stark contrast to previous inspections when the home was found almost fully compliant in January, shortly before the Covid pandemic began.

The home was given deadlines running up to December to fix problems.

A relative of one of the deceased residents told the MoS: ‘We had no problems there before this, I visited at least once a week.

‘I was saddened really when I read that report. And what happens now? Hiqa have done a report, but what are the next steps?’

The young man, who did not wish to be identified, said nearby nursing homes did not have any cases and he doesn’t understand how one part of such a rural community could have so many infections.

He said the virus took away all the usual supports and activity around a death: ‘She died alone with no family around, that’s a cruel way to die.

‘These people lived long lives. She worked hard and this is the end?’

The man said that more should be done to ensure this cannot happen again, adding poignantly: ‘There are still 30-something people in there tonight. We need to think more about people in nursing homes.

‘Who is looking out for them?’ Another woman with a relative still living in the nursing home was frightened by what she read in the report. She said: ‘So many problems have been exposed now but what good is that if no one can do anything? I don’t know what the solution is, there should be fines or, better, have new management put in based on this.’

She was very distressed by the information on infection control and cleaning, saying this should have been a priority.

The woman added: ‘They said there was no nurse on for six hours. That should be more than an orange flag.

‘They said there was no nurse on for six hours’

That means no one could give oxygen for those patients – that scared me.’

Austin O’Callaghan, managing director of the nursing home chain, said: ‘At this point, Brindley Healthcare do not wish to make any comment in relation to the Hiqa report.’

Two other nursing homes that are part of the Brindley chain also suffered serious Covid outbreaks; Brindley Manor Nursing Home in Convoy, Co. Donegal had 30 cases, while four residents died at the Kilminchy Lodge in Portlaoise in October.

Meanwhile, at a press briefing on Friday, the HSE said that there were around five nursing homes receiving intensive support and would be considered in the ‘red’ category of the HSE’s traffic light system.

These would be homes considered to be suffering with outbreaks, staff shortages, PPE issues or difficulties controlling the spread of Covid-19. A further 35 are in the ‘amber’ category. At the briefing, Liam Woods, HSE national director of Acute Hospitals, said: ‘In terms of residential care facilities, including nursing homes but also other residential care facilities, we’re monitoring 1,121 of those, 958 or 85%, are managing fine.

‘Having said that there’s a firm 125 that are “green” in stats which means they’ve had some support, but they are okay. There’s a further 35 that are “amber”. So there is more active support and intervention there.

‘There’s a small number that are red, which means we actually have staff in those facilities at the moment and they’re receiving significant support around microbiology infection prevention control, geriatrician support from hospitals, nursing support potentially.’

‘More active support and intervention’