Louth nursing home wins praise in HIQA review

Moorehall Lodge Ardee has been praised for providing a warm, supportive environment for older people, following an unannounced inspection by HIQA.  The authority noted high levels of resident satisfaction, strong staff engagement and a homely atmosphere across the centre’s five “household” units.

The inspection, carried out on 23 September 2025, assessed the 125-bed facility against national regulations governing older persons’ residential care. On the day of inspection, 112 residents were living in the centre.

Inspectors reported consistently positive feedback from residents and families. Residents described themselves as “perfectly happy” living in Moorehall Lodge and said staff were “very nice to us” and “would do anything for you.” One visiting family member told inspectors: “These people have a vocation, they are not just doing a job.”

Inspectors observed friendly, respectful interactions between staff and residents throughout the day, prompt responses to call bells, and a calm, lively atmosphere in communal areas. Residents had flexibility around their routines, including when to rise in the morning, meal choices, and activities.

Meals received strong praise, with breakfast served flexibly from 7.30am to 11.30am. Staff were seen accommodating individual requests such as scrambled eggs, bacon or boiled eggs.

Secure courtyards were well maintained, with seating, flowerbeds and sheltered smoking areas. The secure courtyard in the dementia unit had its own car for residents to interact with if they wished. 

The laundry service also received positive feedback from both residents and relatives, with no reports of missing clothing.

HIQA found that the centre was “well governed” with strong leadership from the management team and good staffing levels. Staff training, including safeguarding and dementia-related responsive behaviour training, was fully up-to-date.

However, the authority noted that some of the centre’s internal audits were too limited in scope to give an accurate overview of performance. For example: Monthly call-bell audits checked only one bell at random, hand-hygiene audits observed only three staff members per month and oversight of care plans required strengthening.

As a result, HIQA deemed the centre “substantially compliant” under Governance and Management.

In response, Moorehall Lodge has committed to significantly increasing audit sample sizes, enhancing monitoring of care plans, and introducing new systems for residents who require more frequent safety checks. These changes are scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2025.

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While inspectors found evidence of good care and strong knowledge of residents’ needs, they identified minor gaps in two key areas: Some resuscitation care plans had not been reviewed within the required four-month timeframe. For a resident at risk of absconsion, the care plan was not implemented in practice. The safety check records carried out were a lesser frequency than advised within the care plan.

These issues were classed as “substantially compliant”, with Moorehall Lodge committing to full compliance by 9 December 2025. The centre has already updated its care-plan audit tool and scheduled a full review of resuscitation documentation.