‘Quality services’ of ‘well-run’ Kilkenny nursing home strongly praised
The North Kilkenny centre avoided any instances of serious non-compliance
Sacred Heart nursing home outside Johnstown received a largely positive review from a new HIQA report with inspectors saying it was ‘well-run’ with ‘strong management systems’.
The facility received 11 ratings of full compliance and four of substantial compliance without a single instance of non-compliance from the unannounced inspection which took place in November.
Sacred Heart had 46 residents at the time of inspection with comments from those who spoke to HIQA staff’s comments including that they felt “thankful to the almighty” to live in the centre and that staff were “easy to talk to” and “always having a smile.”
The inspectors reported it was evident that the centre’s management and staff focused on providing quality services to residents and promoting their wellbeing with good monitoring of care and support.
In staffing, a review of rosters and conversations with residents made it clear that there was sufficient staff of appropriate skill on duty to meet resident’s needs while two registered nurses were on duty at night.
There were some issues in governance and management of the centre with systems to monitor quality and safety requiring strengthening as they were not fully effective.
An example was a fluid thickening agent that was found to be unsecured in some bedroom and communal areas. Insecure storage of such products can lead to a risk of asphyxiation by accidental ingestion.
In the quality and safety ratings at Sacred Heart, the inspection found that residents had a good quality of life where their human rights were promoted and they were encouraged to live in an unrestricted manner.
Inspectors observed kind and compassionate staff treating residents with dignity and respect.
Though the quality and safety part of the inspection was mostly positive, review was required on the decor and upkeep of residents’ bedrooms as some showed signs of wear and tear.
This included some bedrooms with plaster missing from the walls and black staining was observed on the ceiling of one room.
One particularly praised area of review was in individual assessment and care plans which showed proof of residents being comprehensively assessed upon admission using a suite of evidence-based tools to evaluate risks.
These risks included falls, pressure sore development, malnutrition, manual handling needs and dependency levels while reviewed care plans were person-centred and specific to that resident’s needs.