NURSING HOMES: CALLS TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS

There have been calls to improve the complaints process in nursing homes. Many of the patients and the elderly people want the procedure to be easier so that their grievances can be investigated impartially. Nursing homes are vital to the elderly community as they provide 24 hrs. nursing care to the elderly. These homes also provide short-term stays for people with illnesses or injuries, those coming out of surgery, others who require therapy be it physical or occupational.

These facilities have expert trained staffs who are mostly nurses who offer great medical healthcare that is 24-hours a day. Social activities and community care to patients making them feel at home. All homes registered with the state often require evaluation and reports sent to Medicare. It ensures that the facilities offer exceptional health and guidance to the elderly and that they run in the best possible manner. The patients’ advocacy group echoed how residents are often reluctant to air out fearing that it could affect their care or they may be asked to pack and go.

The chief executive of the Patient and Client Council, Maeve Hully reiterated that the residents should not be fearful, otherwise, feel safe and secure. Homes should have a transparent complaints process. According to the PCC, there were reports that ten thousand seven hundred nursing care bed as of 30th June 2017. A larger percentage of those beds are in the independent sector. A number of changes and recommendations by the PCC in the report titled, “The experience of living in a nursing home.” One of the recommendations in the report was the implementation of a complaints process that was in line with the set standards of the Health Department.

Maeve reiterated how nursing care providers could be able to demonstrate where changes have occurred by asking people to be confident and raise issues about their treatment and care so that it can be thoroughly investigated. An investigation done earlier this month into one of the homes known as Dunmurry Manor care home found that residents had been subjected to catalogs of inhuman and degrading treatment.

Some care and safety of residents with dementia were investigated by the Northern Irelands Commissioner for Older people. In his report, many residents were complaining of spending the last few months living in appalling conditions. Owners of the Runwood Homes i.e. the Runwood Group issued an apology to the residents offering them assurances that there were measures put in place and it had taken corrective action.