Donegal nursing home deemed a ‘significant risk to residents' safety’

A Donegal health service provider has been found non-compliant with multiple regulations and posed a “significant risk to residents' safety” following an inspection.

The check of the Aras Gaoth Dobhair nursing home was carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

Aras Gaoth Dobhair is a purpose-built, single-storey facility and is registered to accommodate 41 residents, located at Meenaniller, Derrybeg.

The inspectors found that the centre was substantially compliant with regulations regarding infection control, due to staff inappropriately handling soiled linen.

“Staff were observed handling soiled linen in their hands without gloves, touching the linen bin, and then proceeded to carry out another task and move between the bedrooms,” the report states. “This posed a risk of cross-infection to the resident.

“Linen bags allocated for soiled laundry were found overfilled, with linen hanging from them in the corridors. Toiletries and manual handling slings seen around the centre were not labelled for a specific resident. This creates a risk of cross-infection between residents.

“Single-use wound dressings and solutions were observed to be open and partially used.”

Inappropriate storage of items was seen to have the potential to impact infection control in some areas; for example, “several boxes were stored on the floor around the centre, and several items were stored in and around the sink in the treatment room, creating limited access for proper cleaning.”

The centre responded by saying they will come into compliance with the regulation by ensuring all members of staff have completed IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) refresher training, including safe handling of soiled linen, appropriate use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and hand hygiene between tasks.

The centre also stated that since the inspection, soiled linen bags are now being replaced once they are three-quarters full; all resident toiletries and manual-handling slings have been individually labelled and are used only by the resident to whom they are allocated; nursing staff have completed refresher instruction on aseptic technique and the correct use and disposal of single-use products, and storage and treatment areas have been reviewed.

Additionally, the report also found that the centre was non-compliant with regulations on medicines and pharmaceutical services. The inspector observed that the medication administration and storage practices did not align with the guidelines released by An Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais.

The report states that there was a “significant risk to residents' safety” after the inspector observed that the medication trolley was left unsupervised and unlocked, with the keys left in the lock during medication administration rounds. The medication trolley was also seen to be left at the nursing station throughout the day and night, which was not in line with the centre's policy

Nursing staff were also seen carrying medication in plastic caps and walking with them around the centre rather than carrying the medication trolley with them. Medicinal products were stored in an unlocked kitchenette which was accessible to all residents and staff.

The centre responded by stating that medication trolleys are now stored in designated secure areas with access restricted to nursing staff when not in use. During medication rounds, trolleys are kept locked when unattended and keys remain with the administering nurse. All nutritional supplements are said to now be stored securely.

The centre also said that all registered nurses involved in medication administration have completed a medication-management competency assessment. Nursing staff have been instructed that medicines must be transported and administered directly from the medication trolley and must not be carried around the centre in individual medication caps

The report found that the centre was not compliant with Regulation 9: residents' rights. Inspectors noted that residents' bedrooms lacked privacy, as the curtains in shared bedrooms did not fully enclose the bed spaces.

The sensory room in the centre was locked overnight and did not reopen until 11 am the following morning, which restricted resident access and prevented the residents from exercising their right to use the room in private and access a communal facility registered for residents' use. This was also noted in a report from a previous inspection in November 2025.

The dining room was absent of tablecloths, menus, and condiments on some tables. Extra salt, butter, pepper, and sauce were not available to residents. Additionally, the inspector observed that residents had to ask staff for some butter, pepper, or salt. The report says: “This did not support an enjoyable dining experience and did not promote

Independence.”

The centre responded by saying that the HSE reviewed the privacy arrangements on August 24. At the time of the report, the centre had not heard back from the HSE. The centre said they have now made the sensory room accessible throughout the day, and dining tables are now set with menus and condiments, with butter, sauces, salt and pepper available to support resident choice and independence.

The inspection found that the staff and residents in the nursing home had a good relationship, as residents were seen receiving respectful care. Staff were seen to be familiar with the needs of residents, and residents who spoke with inspectors reported being satisfied with life in the centre and stated that staff treated them well.

The centre was found compliant in three out of 17 regulations. Full compliance was the judgment for staffing, training and staff development, and visits.

Five other regulations were judged as substantially compliant: complaints procedure, personal possessions, fire precautions, health care, and protection.

Six other regulations were judged as non-compliant. These were: persons in charge, records, governance and management, notification of incidents, premises, and individual assessment and care plan.

The actions proposed by the centre in response to the non-compliant and substantially compliant judgments are part of its compliance plan, and the report does not independently confirm that every action has been taken.

The unannounced inspection took place over one day, May 22, earlier this year. The hours of the inspection were between 5:55 am and 2:10 pm, during which the home had 37 residents in its care.