HIQA stopped admissions to Laois nursing home featured in ‘RTÉ Investigates' programme amid concerns
RTÉ News reports that HIQA confirmed that "through its inspections" of both nursing homes it had "identified a number of significant concerns".
The findings of the RTÉ investigation into two nursing homes run by Ireland's largest provider was likened to 'institutional abuse'.
HIQA had stopped admissions to one of the nursing homes prior to the programme being aired last night.
The 'deeply distressing' footage in RTÉ Investigates – Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes, which aired last night, details a litany of failings in two homes run by Emeis Ireland, formerly Orpea.
The French-owned company has 27 privately-run facilities here, providing more than 2,400 beds. It has a global revenue of more than €5.6bn.
After concerns were raised by several whistleblowers, RTÉ sent two undercover researchers to apply for healthcare assistant roles. They obtained footage from The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, Dublin.
Among the breaches detailed were inadequate staffing levels, which at times left one employee looking after 23 residents, and people being refused help to go to the toilet.
One resident was left on the toilet for an extended period of time with a broken call bell, after the worker went off on her break. When she was eventually tended to, the nurse was seen cleaning her hands afterwards on the resident's skirt.
In another incident, an elderly man in a wheelchair pleaded to go to the toilet, only to have his request refused. He was not taken to the bathroom until 25 minutes after his first request.
Reacting to the footage, consultant geriatrician David Robinson said it was 'neglect… in a setting that is supposed to be caring'.
ADVERTISEMENT
Staff in the Portlaoise facility were secretly filmed discussing how they had run out of incontinence pads and would not get any for another 10 days. They were told they would instead have to use 'sticky pads and underwear'.
In one scene captured on camera, a nurse says 'using incorrect incontinence wear is a form of abuse' and they are 'actually causing bed sores'.
This morning, HIQA confirmed that admissions to The Residence Portlaoise had been stopped "as part of its escalatory action".
A spokesperson said; "further inspection reports on both of these centres are currently being finalised and will be published shortly".
"We are very concerned about the practices described in the programme and we have engaged directly with those responsible for the operation of the nursing homes," the statement continued.
"Accordingly, we will be taking the necessary actions with the provider to ensure safe and effective care and support to all residents".
Incidents
In one incident at Beneavin Manor, Glasnevin, which houses many people living with dementia, one vulnerable resident was seen being left in her wheelchair for up to six hours.
When she was eventually moved, the obligatory hoist was not used. The care worker insisted that she and the undercover reporter pull the frail woman up by her clothing because 'they are not glass'.
When another man requested to use the toilet, he was told to use his incontinent pad instead. The same man was later found sitting in the dayroom in urine-soaked clothing.
That night, he called repeatedly for someone to help him go to the toilet, but he was again told to use his pad. The next day, he was found lying on a soaking wet bed without any sheets.
Later that night, there were no bed sheets left and staff instead used incontinence pads as a makeshift covering.
Professor Rónán Collins, a consultant geriatrician, said the care of this man was 'really quite distressing'.
'I can't say any more about how much it goes against the grain of every kind of gerontological principle I would hold dear,' he said.
Emeis Ireland said it was 'unacceptable' for residents to have to wait for care or be dismissed when requesting assistance.
It also apologised to residents and their families for the distress caused by the failings identified.
'Emeis Ireland apologises unequivocally to all residents and their families for the suffering and distress experienced as a result of failures identified in the care provided. We recognise and deeply regret the breach of trust that has occurred in relation to the service standards we promise, and for any failure to uphold the dignity of some residents at all times. These lapses fall short of the values and standards we set for ourselves as an organisation.
"Emeis acknowledges the serious issues raised in relation to The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor. The findings are deeply distressing, wholly unjustifiable, and entirely unacceptable. We express our deep concern, as the wellbeing, dignity, and safety of residents in our care will always remain our foremost priority.
'We have commenced a comprehensive review across both nursing homes. We will not tolerate any individual or systemic neglect.'
This article was edited at 9.55am on June 5 to clarify that HIQA stopped admissions to the nursing homE prior to the programme being aired last night.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, June 7th: on nursing home revelations, Trump versus Musk and bird droppings
Sir, – It is 20 years, almost to the day, since RTÉ broadcast the Prime Time Investigates documentary which revealed the horrors of Leas Cross nursing home in Dublin. On Wednesday, further outstanding investigative journalism by RTÉ revealed yet more horror stories in Ireland's private nursing home sector. I have no words to adequately describe the anger, profound sadness and deep frustration I felt as I watched frail, vulnerable, elderly people being denied the most basic care. As I listened to frightened residents begging and pleading for help, I also felt an overwhelming sense of the deepest fear. READ MORE My mother lived with dementia for 20 years. She has a strong family history of dementia and all her siblings have either succumbed to, or are living with, Alzheimer's disease. I cared for my mother at home for many years. I am forever thankful that she received excellent quality care, and extended care, in both our acute and voluntary hospitals. Developing dementia is one of my greatest fears. I have no family. There will be nobody to fight for good care for me, or to advocate for me, should I also succumb to dementia. When I watched frail elderly residents with dementia being treated so horrifically on the RTÉ Investigates documentary this week, I despaired. Those residents were the victims of blatant abuse. Residents with advanced dementia would most likely be unable to accurately explain their experiences to anybody, or to identify their abusers. That also makes them easy targets for such abuse. I concluded that, should I ever be diagnosed with dementia and reach that stage of illness and dependency, I would rather not be alive than be at the mercy of such so-called 'care providers'. Twenty years after Leas Cross such horrors are still happening. What does it take to make this stop? Or will this latest horror simply result in more transient outrage, more eloquent statements and yet more empty promises, until the next time? Is there always going to be a next time? – Yours, etc, BERNADETTE BRADY (PHD), Rathfarnham, Dublin. Sir, – The RTÉ Investigates programme, Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes, was truly disturbing. RTÉ and all who contributed to the making of the programme, both to camera and undercover, deserve our thanks. It does however raise some important questions which a follow-on programme might wish to address. Twenty-five years after the Leas Cross scandal, and the follow-on establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), how come care in congregated settings is increasingly provided in large for profit facilities (a worrying trend to which Hiqa has drawn attention) and what difference would it make if the Health Service Executive (HSE) were to build and run more such facilities? How come private and voluntary (non-HSE) nursing homes are not part of the overall planning process for integrated services in the six new regional HSE organisations, despite a clearly identified need to improve clinical governance across the sector as suggested by the expert group on nursing homes which reported during the Covid pandemic? Where is the evidence of follow through on all the recommendations for the development of a wider range of alternatives to nursing homes, including the development of small scale 'Household / Teaghleach'models of nursing home and congregated care? Why is the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), essentially a medical procedures agency, still involved in 'purchasing' care for older people through a nursing home support scheme (Fair Deal) administered by the HSE across all nursing homes (most of which it does not control) while the regulator, Hiqa, has no role in regulating the payment levels to those nursing homes? Why is the Law Reform Commission report on adult safeguarding, published in April 2024, not being progressed with urgency by the Oireachtas given that the report included draft legislation? The RTÉ programme concerned two nursing homes owned by Emeis, formerly Orpea. There is plenty of information available concerning Orpea, particularly in France (where it was partially nationalised), to have at least raised concerns. There must have been some awareness of this and consideration of the possible consequences for older people in Ireland when they were allowed operate in the Irish market. It is interesting to note that the group's facility in Portlaoise is described as a nursing home but with a capacity for 101 residents it is not far off the size of Portlaoise hospital. To describe such a facility as a 'home from home' is seriously mistaken. The images of abusive and cruel behaviour and of residents corralled into one room are more suggestive of a human warehouse than a home. Finally, for all those many staff currently providing care in nursing homes to the highest standard they possibly can, in the often difficult circumstances in which they find themselves, it would be helpful if they could rely on a public system of support and guidance, including clinical support and governance, to deal with issues and concerns at short notice rather than having to await an occasional inspection from the regulator followed by a report some while later. Regulation and inspection are important but they are no longer enough. Practical supports to encourage quality care are far more likely to pick up on issues and have them addressed as they arise. – Yours ,etc. MERVYN TAYLOR, Stillorgan, Dublin. Sir, – The RTÉ Investigates programme laid bare the inhumane treatment of vulnerable residents in private nursing homes – many of whom are paying exorbitant fees of €1,400 per week. At such a staggering cost, these individuals could instead receive dignified, high-quality home care in the comfort of their own communities. That these abuses persist is a damning indictment of systemic failure. Hiqa, tasked with safeguarding standards, has clearly failed residents, families, and the State. Paper-based inspections and sporadic visits are not enough to prevent cruelty behind closed doors. If we are serious about accountability, Hiqa must have a permanent, on-the-ground presence in every facility, with 24/7 monitoring via live video feeds covering all areas – excluding only private bathrooms for dignity. Modern technology makes this feasible; what's lacking is political will. Why not implement this? If prisons and childcare centres can adopt stringent oversight, why not nursing homes, where our most fragile citizens reside? Until real-time transparency is enforced, families will never trust that their loved ones are safe. This isn't just about regulation – it's about basic humanity. – Yours, etc, PETER MALBASHA, Co Dublin. Sir, – This nursing care scandal has scared many people. My 80-year-old mother has just told me how, as she was lighting her candles for her grandchildren sitting their Leaving Certificate, she also lit one for herself. Her prayer is that she doesn't fall, break her hip and end up in a nursing home like that. Calling for help, with no one answering. I hope our Minister for Older People is listening, because this is a loud voting issue. – Yours, etc, CARMEL DOYLE, Beaumont Woods, Dublin 9. Trade union dues Sir, – Do I get a hint of disdain in Barry Walsh's letter (June 5th) about unions suggesting all should pay dues whether a union member or not ? He wonders why the general secretary of Fórsa earns three times the average pay. Does he suggest they earn the same as a shop-floor worker? I have been lucky to have been a union member most of my working life especially having been made redundant once. I do think it unfair that some colleagues refuse to join a union but at the same time are more than happy to accept the pay and benefits that a union has negotiated or earned, often by its members having to strike. – Yours, etc, ENDA SCANLON, Ennis, Co Clare. Trinity College and Israel Sir, – In deciding to boycott and divest from Israel, Trinity College Dublin has, in my view, abandoned the key principle of institutional neutrality which should underpin the actions of a serious university. In 1967, the University of Chicago led the way on this fundamental issue during the white heat of the campus riots across America during the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa. The faculty debated how a university should respond to the burning political and social issues of the day. When passions are running high, what should a university say or do when activists demand it choose sides and take action? Chicago's conclusion was straightforward: the university must remain neutral in order to meet its long-term core mission of the 'discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge'. This did not mean ignoring difficult issues. Faculty and students must have full freedom of criticism, dissent and open inquiry, but the university itself 'is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic'. Bizarrely, the board's chairman noted explicitly in a message to the college community that while Trinity is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners 'here is no evidence to associate any of these with breaches of international humanitarian law or human rights violations.' So what is Trinity's problem with individual Israeli academics and universities who are often eloquent critics of their governments' actions and policies? Is it not overreach to insist that the 'college should seek to align itself with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel's participation in such collaborations?' So many questions remain unanswered. Can Trinity's decades long partnerships with Intel continue when the tech firm is thought to be Ireland's biggest importer of Israeli goods, most from its sister factory in Kiryat Gat? Are Trinity's teaching hospitals, St James's and Tallaght, now prohibited from accessing Israeli medical products and pharmaceuticals? Can Trinity's partnerships with American universities and companies continue given stringent US anti-boycott legislation? What now for Trinity's Herzog Centre, the only institution in Ireland offering Jewish studies, when your university has decided to boycott the world's only Jewish state? In singling out Israel alone for boycott and divestment while maintaining ties with other countries with well-documented human rights violations, Trinity has opened itself to the charge of institutional anti-Semitism and racism. I am ashamed of my alma mater. – Yours, etc, DR JANE MAHONY, BA (Mod), PhD, Trinity College, Dublin. Birds dropping Sir, – Reading Frank McNally's column on the provenance of James 'Skin the Goat' Fitzharris's reflection on informers , I wonder if it may come from the belief held in many places that being shat on by a bird is a sign of good luck? Personally I have never held much store in this, having been the victim many years ago on Brighton seafront of a seagull who had had a very large lunch, resulting in my repair to the nearest boutique to purchase a fresh T-shirt. That said, perhaps the informer never overflown will never again have the gift of good luck? – Yours, etc. JOHN F MCELHONE, Co Donegal. Critical climate omission Sir, – That there is a report by the Environmental Protection Agency about global warming´s effect on Ireland is welcome. ( 'Communications, transport and health of older people at increased risk from global warming, says EPA,' June 3rd). Frightening as it is in its current form, the report has a critical omission. It is has not addressed the dramatic effects of the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc). In lay man's terms, this ocean current keeps Ireland habitable. Otherwise it would have the climatic conditions of southern Alaska and Canada's Hudson Bay. The weakening or ending of the Amoc is probable. It is certainly an existential threat to Ireland. Ireland is not geared for an average winter temperature of –18 degrees. It is presently comfortably above 0 degrees. It is very surprising that the EPA has decided not to include this essential element. Policymakers need all the information to get to comprehend the scale of the challenge. The Irish Government, regardless of its political hue, needs to understand the new business as usual will involve planning and action to protect the State and its citizens. I don't believe that the timescale is as long as many politicians assume. One of the stand-out facts from my Earth Science education (1992) was the speed of climate change. The Younger Dryas climatic period ended over less than 50 years, so starting our current phase. Climate systems are stable until they are not. – Yours, etc, RICHARD HERRIOTT, Aarhus, Denmark. Trumping Trump v Musk Sir, – We can all now relax and enjoy watching the world's two biggest egos burn themselves out in front of a potential audience of billions. Could this be the template for settling all global disputes in the future? Yours, etc, NIALL GINTY, Killester, Dublin. Sir, – The very serious online and very public spat between the world's most powerful man and the world's richest man is a 'big beautiful example' of how reciprocity works in real time. – Yours, etc, NOIRIN HEALY, Goatstown, Dublin. Sir, – In the very public, very dirty divorce between Trump and Musk who will get custody of JD Vance? – Yours, etc, BRID MILLER, Athlone Road, Roscommon. Sir, – I wonder did Elon Musk realise how his social media platform X would become really so apt! – Yours, etc, AIDAN RODDY, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Funding and the arts Sir, – The tenor of Yvonne O'Reilly's letter about funding the arts in yesterday's letters page chimed with the findings of a research project I recently undertook with colleagues from Queen's University, Belfast, and Liverpool University into a wide range of 'Arts for Peace' projects in Northern Ireland. Too often what passes for evaluation is really about accountability with funded organisations wanting to assure funders they have achieved their set goals. Funders for their part tend to see it as a purely administrative process, with vasts amount of data going largely unanalysed. But the value of this data must be questionable given the limited scope for acknowledging what is learnt from unsuccessful aspects of funded projects and outcomes that were not envisaged at the time of application. I can reassure your correspondent, however, that there are examples of good practice out there that will hopefully in due course inform a more productive evaluation culture. – Yours, etc. DAVID GRANT, School of Arts, English, and Languages, Queen's University, Belfast.
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
Multinational nursing home operators do not deliver lower standards of care, says spokesman
There is no evidence to support the claim that private sector nursing homes provide poorer care than public ones, a spokesman for the private and voluntary nursing home sector has said. Tadhg Daly, Chief Executive of Nursing Homes Ireland was speaking in the wake of an RTÉ programme on two Irish nursing homes run by French multinational Emeis . The undercover documentary alleged serious failings in the care being delivered. Mr Daly cited a 15-year review of the sector last year by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) that noted a 'clear trend' of large corporate groups purchasing Irish nursing homes but found no associated negative effect on care. The report said Hiqa 'does not currently have any specific concerns' regarding the quality of care provided in nursing homes that are owned or operated by these large corporate groups. READ MORE [ What is Emeis and where are its Irish care homes located? Opens in new window ] However, it said the consolidation of nursing home ownership by a small number of large operators represented a 'systemic risk' that should be addressed as part of an overall strategy for the sector. Mr Daly said there must be a regulatory regime that delivers the 'high quality care that our older people require and deserve'. The policy of 'Ireland Inc' was to encourage foreign direct investment in all sectors of the economy, including the healthcare sector, he said. 'You can have bad outcomes in the private system and bad outcomes in the public system,' he said. [ Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health Opens in new window ] Emeis Ireland, formerly Orpea, apologised for what was revealed by the RTÉ documentary, which involved secret filming inside The Residence, in Portlaoise, Co Laois, and the Beneavin Manor nursing home, in Glasnevin, Dublin 11. Minister for Older People Kieran O'Donnell met Hiqa in the wake of the programme which he described as 'extremely distressing'. The share price of the French multinational, then called Orpea, collapsed a few years ago following the publication of a book in France about care standards in its homes, with a French state investment fund eventually bailing it out. The fund remains the largest shareholder of the business, which had global revenues of €5.6 billion last year. The French multinational is the largest operator in the Irish nursing home sector, with its Irish subsidiaries owned by way of a company in Luxembourg called Central & Eastern Europe Health Care Services Holding Sarl. Shane Scanlan, chief executive of The Alliance – Supporting Nursing Homes, a nursing home trade association said smaller independent nursing home groups provide a better standard of care in general than multinational groups do, because they are 'on the ground' and their owners are more in touch with what is happening in their home. 'Emeis has €5.6 billion generated in global funding and you look at the programme and there aren't even sheets, basic incontinence wear, there's poor staffing levels. That's completely unacceptable from an organisation generating that level of revenue.' A Hiqa report from an inspection of the Portlaoise nursing home in February noted a weak organisation structure was affecting the quality of care being provided. It also noted 'noncompliance' in a number of key areas. There were 70 residents in the home at the time of the visit. Although changes had been introduced in the wake of criticisms made after a previous inspection, the report said, 'this inspection found that the overall governance and management of the centre had deteriorated since'. A November 2024 inspection of the Beneavin home, where there were 72 residents at the time, did not find any instance of noncompliance. 'From what the residents told the inspector and from what was observed, it was evident that residents were very happy living in Firstcare Beneavin Manor and their rights were respected in how they spent their days,' the report said. In a statement on Friday, Emeis noted a request from the Minister for Older People for Hiqa to conduct a national review of its nursing home facilities and said it will co-operate fully with all regulatory and statutory bodies. It said Hiqa and the HSE have visited Beneavin Manor and The Residence Portlaoise, and it has separately initiated on-site audits and 'detailed corrective actions'. It said the 'shocking and unacceptable' footage showing 'poor and abusive practice' is not representative of the professionalism and commitment of its employees in Ireland.
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Increased vigilance' needed from Hiqa's regulatory approach to nursing homes, Taoiseach says
There are issues that should be examined in the regulatory approach of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) to ensure the welfare of elderly people in nursing homes , Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. He was speaking in reaction to allegations of elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes Beneavin House, in Glasnevin, Dublin, and The Residence, Portlaoise, Co Laois, which were shown in an RTÉ Investigates programme aired Wednesday night. Mr Martin described the content of the programme as 'absolutely unacceptable' and said 'there will have to be increased vigilance from the regulatory approach, and that is something that Government will be looking at'. The documentary shared scenes of older people allegedly being 'manhandled', ignored when asking for help to go to the toilet, and 'being left in incontinence pads for so long their clothes were soaked'. READ MORE Emeis Ireland, which operates both nursing homes at the centre of the scandal, has apologised 'unequivocally to all residents and their families for the suffering and distress' caused. [ Staff in nursing home at centre of neglect claims 'did not show a shred of empathy' for woman (92) Opens in new window ] Mr Martin said Government policy on safeguarding elders' welfare 'isn't the issue'. 'It will be an additional help but fundamentally it's behaviour on a day-to-day basis,' he said. 'It is how homes are operated and it's the regulation then of that that ultimately will still have to be the first response, and the key, to situations like this.' Hiqa is 'effective and impactful in many areas', however 'the regulatory framework didn't catch very horrific and shocking behaviour towards people in nursing homes. That has to be taken on board', Mr Martin said. [ Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health Opens in new window ] There is 'a lack of a clear ethos and ethical framework' in the governance and ownership of the nursing homes in question which impacts 'respecting the dignity of every human being', Mr Martin said. He pledged 'additional investment in public facilities into the future', which he said 'tend to deal with more acute patients'. 'We have invested very strongly in the public system, which people may not realise, through the refurbishment of existing community district hospitals across the country over the last four to five years,' he said. A review of the 27 Emeis-owned nursing homes in the State was initiated Thursday morning after Minister of State with Responsibility for Older People Kieran O'Donnell met Hiqa representatives. Safeguarding teams have since been brought in to Beneavin House and The Residence, Portlaoise, by the Health and Safety Authority , The Irish Times understands. A demonstration has been planned for next week by Care Champions Ireland, an advocacy group for families with relatives in care facilities, outside Leinster House to 'demand safeguarding legislation' and 'reform all care provisions'. [ What is Emeis and where are its Irish care homes located? Opens in new window ] In a statement on Friday evening Emeis said the RTÉ footage was 'both shocking and unacceptable and unquestionably equated to poor and abusive practice. 'Emeis Ireland has taken appropriate safeguarding actions in relation to residents and specific actions in relation to staff and a full organisational review is under way. These incidents were not representative of the professionalism and commitment of our employees in Ireland, nor of the everyday life in our facilities.'
