Louth nursing home found non-compliant in HIQA inspection

A Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspection has found significant failings in the care of residents at St Joseph’s Hospital, Ardee, with inspectors concluding that residents’ rights were not being consistently upheld and that the centre was operating with a culture of care “driven by staff and institutional practices which were denying residents', particularly those of maximum dependency, the right to choice.”

The unannounced inspection, carried out on September 24, 2025, focused on adult safeguarding and reviewed the measures in place to protect residents from abuse. While residents told inspectors they generally felt safe and described staff as kind, according to the report, “practices observed on the day showed that significant improvements in the culture of care were required to ensure a human-rights based approach to care was promoted”

The inspection found that residents were often put to bed early with inspectors noting that “some residents were in bed from the time the inspection started and remained in bed throughout the inspection period,” with other residents assisted into bed shortly after 3pm.

When questioned, staff told the inspector that “on the days when there were no activities planned in the afternoon, residents were returned to bed.” However, HIQA found that “the care plans of the residents in question were checked and were not found to have such preferences reflected in their daily plan of care.”

One resident told the inspector they would have liked to get up but were told they could not. HIQA stated that this arrangement was “not informed by a risk assessment and outlined in their individual care plan,” concluding that “the care delivered was not person-centred but driven by staff and institutional practices which were denying residents, particularly those of maximum dependency the right to choice.”

The report also highlighted a lack of meaningful activities, particularly on days when the activity coordinator was not on duty. On the day of inspection, “there were no activities planned,” and residents who remained in bed “had no planned interactions or activities for the day” and were observed “with little stimulation”

While residents praised the food and described the centre as homely, HIQA expressed concern that some residents were eating meals in bed while dressed in nightwear.

The physical condition of the building was also criticised. Inspectors found parts of the premises to be in “a poor state of repair,” with bedroom floors splattered with paint, damaged walls, chipped doors and inadequate storage for residents’ belongings. HIQA noted that these issues had been raised previously but remained unresolved.

Residents continued to live in shared bedrooms with limited privacy, relying on fabric screens around their beds. The report states that “the lack of private space provided to residents has a negative impact on their rights,” particularly their right to privacy and adequate personal storage.

HIQA also highlighted frustration among residents regarding delays in moving to a newly built centre despite the building being completed more than a year ago. As a result, residents “continued to live in suboptimal conditions in an environment that did not uphold their rights and privacy,” according to the report.

In terms of governance, HIQA found that although management structures were in place, “allocation of resources and management systems of oversight were not effective at providing a high quality care and safe environment that put the residents at the centre of service.”

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The watchdog concluded that “residents’ rights were not being upheld,” citing failures around choice, privacy, access to activities and meaningful engagement, particularly for residents with dementia or high dependency needs.

St Joseph’s Hospital, which is operated by the HSE and accommodates up to 17 residents, was found to be non-compliant in several key regulations, including governance and management, premises, individual care planning and residents’ rights.

Following the inspection, the HSE submitted a compliance plan outlining steps to address the issues raised, including additional staff training on human-rights based care, improved oversight of care practices, enhanced activity provision seven days a week and works to the building.

The full report can be read here.