Nursing home horrors ‘beyond comprehension'

Extra.ie​

5 days ago

Sexual assaults often went unreported and dead patients were left undiscovered for hours at a nursing home at the centre of an RTÉ exposé, the Dáil was told on Tuesday.
Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, Dublin, was one of two nursing homes owned by operator Emeis Ireland to be featured in the shocking documentary discussed by TDs.
Máire Devine, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South Central, told the Dáil she had heard serious allegations regarding the home from a constituent who had worked there and allegedly witnessed 'horrors beyond her comprehension'. Beneavin Manor in Dublin. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire
'Patients were taken to the toilet by staff and left for hours only to die there, and the times and manner of death were brushed over to families,' she said.
'There were many incidents of vulnerable patients physically fighting among each other, but staff were not trained in de-escalation. Sexual assaults between residents were never reported or addressed and, even more disturbingly, staff members were caught in residents' rooms, engaging in sexual activity. Many staff members took drugs during their shifts and even offered my constituent some at work. Patients were underfed and they would be starving and crying.'
Ms Devine said that the carer notified the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) multiple times, but this made no difference. 'Everything went well and swimmingly when they visited, but the chaotic and neglectful reverted to norm,' she said, adding that the carer left the job 'very distressed and traumatised'. Emeis Ireland has been contacted for comment. Máire Devine, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South Central. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
Concluding the Dáil's statements on nursing homes, the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, Kieran O'Donnell, said he urged Ms Devine to 'report those cases if there are abusive people'.
The Fine Gael TD also stated that RTÉ's documentary exposed 'wanton abuse and neglect of older people' and that the Government was considering granting Hiqa the power to directly fine nursing homes failing to comply with regulations. Currently, the agency can only issue fines through the courts.
Earlier this month, an interim report from Hiqa into the two nursing homes featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme revealed that Beneavin Manor had almost 200 notifications of allegations of abuse of patients since January 2022. There were 198 notifications of an 'allegation, suspected or confirmed instance of abuse to a resident', according to the report. It also found that the home, which is one of three on the same campus, was 100% non-compliant on fire precautions. Emeis Ireland is Ireland's biggest nursing home operator and owns 27 nursing homes in the country and close to 1,000 across Europe. Beneavin Manor in Dublin. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane criticised the privatisation of the nursing home industry in Ireland, stating that 80% of homes were run by 'legally complex entities with deep pockets that can end up out of reach'.
'In one home there were almost 200 allegations of abuse and not one cent of a fine was paid,' he said, referring to Beneavin Manor.
The sentiment was echoed by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, who stated that ten investment funds control 30% of nursing homes in Ireland. 'RTÉ Investigates showed older people treated as a burden, like sacks of meat. These issues are inevitable when you hand healthcare to faceless multinationals,' he said.