Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It can often be a difficult decision for families to put a relative into a nursing home or for individuals themselves to choose to go into one. However, many people prosper, have a renewed vigour and thrive in a nursing home environment. Nursing homes should be considered safe and secure places for the elderly where they receive the care and assistance vulnerable older people need and deserve. However, there were questions over the regulation and governance of nursing homes which were raised by HIQA prior to the pandemic. These concerns could have had a direct effect on the response by nursing homes to the ensuing pandemic. Of real concern is the lack of oversight of nursing homes. The pandemic has highlighted these concerns even more. Nursing homes should not be a barrier to family contact. Isolation is a great problem for the elderly in society in general and should not become a problem in nursing homes. This was the case as a consequence of the various lockdowns. The visiting restrictions imposed led to the very isolation feared by many elderly people and it has certainly led to a deterioration in the mental health and well-being of many elderly individuals.

Nursing home staff were at the front line of the pandemic from the very beginning. There was initially a slow response from the Government to implement measures and nursing homes did not have access to the personal protective equipment they urgently needed, leaving staff and residents vulnerable. This vulnerability was further exacerbated by the use of agency staff who were moving between different locations and the transfer of individuals from hospitals to nursing homes without testing. The lack of a proper mechanism and protection for staff in reporting instances of abuse and neglect needs to be urgently addressed. The lack of proper oversight for the sector could leave it vulnerable to a deterioration in standards and, ultimately, the care of residents. The concerns raised by me and by others over the course of the pandemic need to be urgently addressed. A public inquiry needs to be set up to establish the full facts and bring closure for the families who have lost loved ones.

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