Fahan care home has work to do before reaching full Hiqa compliance

A Hiqa report has found that just over half of the regulations inspected at Nazareth House in Fahan were compliant.

Eight of the 19 regulations inspected were either not compliant or substantially compliant. These included infection control, governance and management, premises, personal possessions and residents’ rights.

The Sisters of Nazareth House in Fahan, which accommodates 48 residents, had an unannounced inspection in October of last year.

Residents are provided with accommodation in the facility in 18 single rooms and 15 double/twin rooms, while 28 of the rooms have en-suite facilities.

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The HIQA report found that the feedback from residents was that it is a good centre, with a majority of the residents expressing high levels of satisfaction.

However, the inspectors found that the layout of the centre's twin bedrooms did not effectively support the privacy and safety needs of residents. This was a repeat finding from previous inspections.

Additionally, the inspectors noted that access to several communal areas was limited. Doors accessing the sensory garden, dining room, chapel and balcony were locked with a keypad, and residents could not freely access these areas without the assistance of a staff member.

When the inspectors asked staff why these areas were locked, they were informed that it was to ensure the safety of residents - and “it had not been recognised by staff as a restriction on residents' ability to move about their home as they wished and as such a breach of their human rights,” the inspectors noted.

The HIQA inspectors also found that nursing and health care were well-managed for the benefit of the residents; however, Nazareth House had failed to provide resources to reconfigure the twin-bedded rooms in line with the compliance plans submitted to the office of the Chief Inspector following the previous inspection in November 2023.

Arrangements to ensure the supervision of staff were found to be ineffective. For example, in one instance, staff failed to appropriately dispose of soiled linen on two occasions, resulting in a risk of cross-contamination.

Overall, the general care and support given to residents in the centre were of a good standard, but other issues to arise included insufficient shelving space for some residents to store their personal belongings. Also, in a shared toilet used by three residents, there was no door for privacy, and the toilet was screened using a shower curtain.

In response, management has undertaken several changes. These include allowing residents who wish to access other areas of the home to have been risk assessed and the code for the doors is now displayed. Also, the staff received a refresher infection control and prevention course to ensure best practices at all times.

Regarding the reconfiguration of twin-bedded rooms, Nazareth House said it recognises that the steps taken to date have not achieved full compliance. However, making the rooms compliant will take some time, as it will involve major structural changes to the building. The matter has been referred to their Building and Development sub-committee. Once a final proposal has been agreed upon by the Board, a revised action plan, including a clear timeline for completion, will be submitted to the Chief Inspector's office. This is due to take place around the end of April.