Donegal disability centre praised for high-quality care

A Donegal adult disability care centre has been praised for its high-quality level of care.

An unannounced inspection of Lifford Accommodation was carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in June this year.

The centre was found fully compliant with 15 out of 16 regulations. The centre was found to be substantially compliant with risk management procedures.

Judgement of substantially compliant means that the provider or person in charge has generally met the requirements of a regulation but requires action to reach full compliance.

Lifford Accommodation provides full-time residential care and support for six adults with intellectual disability. The designated centre comprises two interconnected semi-detached houses.

The report, released on October 30, states that the inspector “found that good governance arrangements coupled with a high standard of care and support meant that residents living at Lifford Accommodation were happy in their homes and felt safe.”

The inspector met all six residents who were staying in the centre during the time of the visit, and reported that each of them received suitable care and support in line with their individual needs.

The report states that the provider and person in charge had some good risk management arrangements but require a further review of risk assessment and control measures.

A review of a resident's epilepsy risk assessment from January of this year found that the use of an epilepsy monitoring device was not included as a control measure. Additionally, the inspector found that the use of the device was not documented on the resident's care plan.

The centre responded by saying they have updated the residents' risk assessment to include the use of an epilepsy monitoring mat as a control measure.

Overall, the inspector found that the centre provided a “good quality service” to its residents.

The inspection took place on Wednesday, June 17, from 9:30 am until 6:10 pm.