HIQA received 36 complaints against Kerry nursing homes last year

HIQA received 36 complaints against staff and providers in Kerry nursing homes during 2020.

The Health Information and Quality Authority is an independent body, which oversees standards in health and social care services in Ireland.

Following a Freedom of Information Act request, HIQA released details of all complaints made against staff and providers in Kerry nursing homes during 2018, 2019 and up to November 2020.

90 complaints were received in that period.

The majority of complaints against nursing homes relate to access to a relative, the turnover of staff, hygiene, overcrowding, managing and reporting of falls and poor communication with residents' families.

Following the onset of COVID-19, there was an increase in complaints relating to poor hygiene practices, inadequate social distancing in centres, a staff member not observing quarantine periods once returning from holidays and staff behaviour outside the centre increasing the risk of residents contracting the virus.

In 2019, a complaint was made against a male care assistant: It was alleged the staff member came into a resident's bedroom, ignored three requests to leave, sat on the bed and kissed the resident's hand.

The information released to Radio Kerry by HIQA only includes complaints and doesn't include the action, if any, taken by the health authority.

The following document was provided to Radio Kerry under the FOI Act 2014.

FOIR 092 020.pdf_Redacted