HIQA praises leadership and resident care at Dundalk nursing home
Report found Dealgan House Nursing Home provided a good quality of care
A recent unannounced inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has found that residents at Curam Care Home Dundalk “felt safe and secure” and were receiving a “good quality service” at the Dundalk nursing home.
The inspection, carried out on February 24, 2026, focused on adult safeguarding and reviewed the measures in place to protect residents from abuse. HIQA inspectors found the centre to be compliant across all regulations assessed.
According to the report, “the centre was calm and peaceful” and residents’ feedback “about life in the centre was positive”. Inspectors noted that residents said “their rights were upheld and they felt safe and secure living in the centre”.
The report added that residents told inspectors they were “always treated with dignity and respect by staff” and said they would have no hesitation in reporting concerns to management.
Inspectors observed positive interactions throughout the day, with staff described as attentive to residents’ needs. The report stated that “on several occasions during the day staff were observed being attentive to residents' individual needs”, including helping residents mobilise and assisting them during mealtimes.
HIQA also praised the atmosphere and activities within the home. Residents said they particularly enjoyed music sessions and Zumba classes, while weekly visits from local primary school children were highlighted as a favourite activity.
The report noted: “They told the inspector that the music and Zumba were by far their favourite activities. However, they also loved Wednesdays when the kids from the primary school across the road came in to play board games and read books with them.”
Inspectors also highlighted a unique Easter project underway at the home with residents “in the process of hatching their own chickens under controlled conditions with the support of staff”.
The inspection found that staffing levels were appropriate and that mandatory safeguarding training had been completed by staff. HIQA said the centre had “good leadership, governance and management arrangements in place”.
The report stated: “This assured the inspector that the centre had good leadership, governance and management arrangements in place which contributed to residents experiencing a quality service, where they were safeguarded from all forms of abuse.”
Inspectors found that care plans were detailed and person-centred, with evidence of multidisciplinary involvement and regular reviews. The report described the quality of nursing care as being “of a high standard”.
HIQA also noted strong safeguarding systems, saying there were “robust policies in place to safe-guard residents against all forms of abuse” and that staff demonstrated “zero tolerance for any form of abuse”.
The centre, which accommodates up to 82 residents, was found compliant in all areas reviewed, including staffing, governance, healthcare, safeguarding, residents’ rights and care planning.
The report concluded that residents were unanimous in their view that the nursing home provided “a safe and secure space in which their rights were upheld.”