HIQA find improvements at Dundalk Care Centre

An unannounced inspection at the Dundalk Care Centre on the Inner Relief Road, Haggardstown carried out in November last year found the facility to be compliant or substantially compliant when it came to twelve out of fourteen regulations, according to a new report published by The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

Overall the report noted a number of improvements when compared with the last inspection carried out in February last year which found the centre to be noncompliant when it came to eight separate regulations.

The centre is registered to accommodate 130 residents all in single ensuite bedrooms and offers short term, long term and focused care options to residents.

At the time of the inspection, the centre was accommodating 84 residents.

Residents spoken with were overwhelmingly satisfied with the standard of care they received and told the inspector that they felt safe and secure living in the centre.

The report noted that the centre was clean and tidy and bright and airy but did however note that the room temperature felt cold in some areas particularly in the communal rooms on the ground and first floor.

The report noted: “The issue was discussed with the person in charge who promptly arranged for the heating to be turned on.

The room temperatures were above 21 degrees Celsius and the rooms felt warm prior to the inspector leaving the designated centre.”

Additionally, the newly purpose-built centre was found to be in a good state of repair.

The inspector observed the lunch service and noted that there were further opportunities to improve the service to ensure residents could maintain their independence and serve themselves, where they were safe to do so, but did comment that “residents received food of their choice and that there were at least two options to choose from at each mealtime. Residents spoken with expressed satisfaction with the meals and a choice of meals was available.”

It was noted that the provider was working towards improved regulatory compliance, but further action was required to ensure a consistent high quality service was provided to the residents.

The centre was commended for the level of support provided to the person-in charge with the report detailing how it had increased with two additional assistant directors of nursing employed since the last inspection in February 2023.

Improvement was also observed when it came to staff training with all staff having the required mandatory training in place. However, the inspector found that staff required further training to ensure they had the knowledge to effectively identify and meet residents' needs.

Staffing was adequately resourced and there were enough staff available to meet the needs of residents with the inspector noting that there was a low use of agency staff.

In terms of record-keeping, the facility was found to be in compliance, with accurate staff rosters and complete staff files. However, governance and management systems were identified as needing improvement to ensure premises maintenance and address outstanding non-compliance issues.

The centre's written policies and procedures were deemed substantially compliant, according to the report.

Issues regarding premises safety, particularly concerning safety risks on the roof terrace and inadequate heating, persisted despite previous notices, indicating a need for urgent attention, according to the report.

The fire safety measures in the centre were found to be in place and well-documented, meeting regulatory standards.

Similarly, medication management practices were deemed safe and evidence-based, with good oversight and administration practices.

However, the report did highlight that staff nurses required further training in how to document residents end of life preferences in a person centred end-of-life care plan.

Overall, Dundalk Care Centre was found to be Substantially Compliant in seven categories and compliant in five while two categories ‘Governance and management’ and ‘Individual assessment and care plan’ were judged to be non compliant.

HIQA required the Person In Charge to detail how these non compliance issues had been or would be rectified and these details were included at the end of the report, with commitments made to address specific issues.

Commenting on the report, a representative for Silver Stream Healthcare Group said that they work hand in hand with HIQA on all findings reported.

They continued: “In all matters we work in partnership with HIQA to implement solutions to resolve any issues raised within the required timelines.

“As with all approximately 550 Long term Residential Care homes in operation in Ireland (not all under the remit of HIQA), we manage to the strict guidelines set and are proud to say we operate at the highest of those standards.

“For any matters raised, we have either implemented the solution already and they are resolved, or we have plans in place to remedy any outstanding points.”

Drawing attention to the reports findings that residents were “overwhelmingly satisfied” and “felt safe and secure”, the representative said:

“As with all of our nursing homes, we take pride in the standards of care we provide to all residents and at all times strive to provide the highest standards in facilities, staffing and the care offered.

“We are comforted with the fact that feedback from residents is extremely positive and their wellbeing is at the heart of our purpose.”