Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will respond regarding the complaints about nursing home care throughout the Covid pandemic, whether these were from family members or HIQA. From the perspective of nursing homes run by the State and those run privately, and smaller versus bigger nursing homes, the report showed that smaller nursing homes had fewer complaints. They were better run and there were fewer complaints about them. These are the same nursing homes that are fighting at present to keep their doors open due to the economic pressure of the rising cost of energy.

These amendments give powers to HIQA to carry out investigations and extra powers to go into nursing homes. HIQA is now going into smaller nursing homes where there are very few or no complaints. It is putting extra pressure on these homes to change to different models, even though they do not have any complaints from any of their residents. HIQA is pressuring them to spend more money at a time when small nursing homes are running at a loss. I am talking about nursing homes that range from 25 to 30 beds that are under fierce financial pressure to keep the doors open. HIQA is now telling them to increase room size by 1.5 sq. m to meet the guidelines. Yet, there are no complaints in the sector regarding the care being given by those particular nursing homes.

On the one hand, I welcome HIQA coming in and enforcing from the perspective of healthcare for people who are in nursing homes. However, we also have to look at smaller nursing homes that have been there for many years, need our help to stay open and have had no complaints from families or residents. We should protect them as well.

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