Dublin nursing home residents heard ‘shouting for help’ due to low staff levels

Residents at a Dublin nursing home were forced to shout for help for extended durations due to inadequate staffing, according to a recent inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

Hiqa published 54 inspection reports on 23 nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland, a major private provider. The company faced scrutiny last year following an RTÉ Investigates program alleging elder abuse and neglect at two of its facilities. Following the broadcast, Hiqa mandated urgent actions to address resident safety and well-being and paused all new admissions to Emeis Ireland centers.

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prolonged periods of time on the second floor where there were no staff available to supervise or assist residents in the corridor, or when residents were calling or shouting for help, as they were providing personal care to residents in the privacy of their own bedrooms

The inspection reports revealed that while some centers provided good care, seven experienced "significant challenges in delivering safe and effective care." Referrals were made to An Garda Síochána (the Irish police) where appropriate.

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Call-bells were ringing for prolonged periods on the first floor.

At The Residence Carton in Raheny, Dublin, inspectors observed prolonged periods on the second floor with no staff available to assist residents calling or shouting for help. Call bells also rang for extended times on the first floor. The inspection noted a lack of person-centered care, with some residents not engaging in activities and spending most of their day in their rooms. Additionally, medication administration was not always as prescribed, posing a risk that had not been identified by the provider's internal audits.

Subsequent inspections at The Residence Carton showed "significant" improvements. However, in another facility, Firstcare Blainroe Lodge in Wicklow, inspectors found staffing was insufficient for the high dependency needs of residents, negatively impacting care and contributing to institutionalized practices. Some residents were only getting up on alternate days due to these staffing concerns.

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posed a risk to residents that had not been picked up by the provider’s own auditing systems