2 days ago
Undercover RTE documentary highlights horrific conditions in Irish nursing homes
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A shocking RTÉ documentary that goes undercover in two nursing homes shows residents crying out for help, left in soiled clothes and being incorrectly handled.
Over the past eight weeks, the public broadcaster has been investigating care at two nursing homes run by Emeis Ireland, formerly Orpea. The largest private nursing home provider in the country, it has 27 homes across the country with capacity for 2,400 residents.
Following concerns raised by several whistleblowers, RTÉ had two undercover researchers and healthcare workers apply for and secure jobs at separate Emeis nursing homes. The researchers got extensive footage from The Residence Portlaoise, Co Laois, and Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, Dublin.
In Portlaoise, a woman was left stranded on a toilet by a new carer who had gone on her break. Harrowing footage shows the woman saying "Don't leave me now, oh my God," as she has a broken call bell.
A nurse then comes to her help, as the terrified resident tells her she was "ringing and ringing and ringing". Later, speaking about the carer, she says: "She never came back. I'm here on me own. It was terrible. It is a fright when the other yoke won't work."
The nurse then told her "don't worry" but proceeded to clean the woman's hands with her own skirt.
In another incident, a man was left waiting for 25 minutes to use the bathroom, as he said he was "in terrible pain" and "very full".
Consultant Geriatrician Prof Rónán Collins, who took part in the documentary, said: "I don't want to be melodramatic and say that it amounts to institutional abuse of people but clearly if people are suffering because they want to go to the toilet and they're faced with the choice of being incontinent in the chair not being taken to the toilet due to staffing levels, that is very, very poor care of people."
Prof David Robinson added: "What we're looking at I suppose is largely institutional abuse and this is neglect at, we're seeing a lot of it, in a setting which is supposed to be caring."
Footage in Portlaoise showed a serious staffing issue, as the undercover healthcare worker was just one of three staff looking after 30 residents on Easter Saturday.
(Image: RTE Investigates)
Much of the inadequate care appears to be down to staffing issues, however, the documentary also exposes a lack of proper equipment.
At a staff meeting in Portlaoise, the home ran out of incontinence pads, with a nurse saying that the next supply wouldn't arrive for 10 days.
A senior nurse then tells staff that management might restrict their access to pads.
She said: "'You were told this at the meeting, if ye run out of pads this month, you're going have to use what's there. You'll have to go and use sticky pads and use underwear and sticky pads for the next 10 days'."
A nurse then said that some residents were found "double padded" and "that is a form of abuse".
Commenting on this, Prof Robinson said: "Rationing incontinence wear when you're trying to make sure that people are clean and dry and also promote toileting. It's almost like a restriction."
The Emeis policy on correct manual handling techniques states its nursing homes should operate a "minimal manual handling approach".
However, during her time at The Residence in Portlaoise, the undercover assistant frequently saw staff flout basic manual handling skills.
A shocking scene shows a frail older woman being lifted under her arms by one male carer, despite her care plan outlining she needs two workers and a full body hoist.
The resident distressingly shouts "no" as the staff member tells her "no you're fine, you're fine".
At Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, footage also showed staff improperly handling residents and leaving them to soil themselves.
While going down a corridor, a man using a walking frame was shown being guided by two staff in a very quick manner.
One assistant was hoisting him by the back of his waist, and he became visibly uncomfortable and upset.
Despite protesting, they forced him into his room and very abruptly pulled his trousers down and yanked his pad off before being pushed into a chair.
The elderly man could be heard saying: "Stop that! Stop that, get out of my room."
Prof Collins said: "That's unacceptable. You can clearly see that he's being roughly handled, inappropriately handled, that he's not understanding what's going on and being slightly frightened by as well as being grabbed by the back of his pants and pushed forward, pushed back into the chair. That's very inappropriate handling."
At the nursing home, the undercover reporter was also shown by a more senior assistant how to transfer a patient to bed "quickly".
(Image: RTE)
Despite protocol being to use a hoist, she showed her how to lift the patient under her arms. She then informed her: "We aren't allowed to do this, it's speedy Gonzales".
At nighttime in Beanevin, footage showed a resident being refused the toilet, and told to go on his incontinence pad.
A nurse then gets agitated and tells him not to go on his sheets as they don't have any more.
The man was then heard calling for help multiple times but no one responded.
On another occasion, the same elderly man was found by the undercover reporter lying on a soaking wet bare mattress without any bedsheets.
(Image: RTE)
Speaking at the end of the documentary, Professor Robinson said the footage shows "systemic and institutional lack of consideration for the older person.
"This is going to shorten people's lives and their lives will be more miserable."
RTÉ Investigates said findings have been reported by RTÉ researchers to HIQA, and the local nursing home management where applicable. It also said the findings of the investigation have been shared with the private nursing home group and RTÉ has offered them due right of reply.
In a statement, Emeis Ireland said: "It is not, nor will it ever be our policy to understaff any of our nursing homes.
(Image: RTE)
"Staff should only be released for in service training when sufficient staff remains in place to meet resident needs.
"The allocation and utilisation of staff resources across both nursing homes is also the subject of this review.
"It is not acceptable for residents to wait for care or to be dismissed when requesting assistance. We take these matters very seriously and we do not tolerate such practices...
"We acknowledge and sincerely apologise to residents and their families for the distress caused by the failings identified. This is not the standard we expect and not the standards that residents or their families deserve."
