Prime Time Investigates Nursing Homes

Our GDP is deadly though. We can't do anything to benefit the people that live here with it, but we can tell everyone how rich we are!

Its the same as everything else - a lot (not all) of the nursing homes are run/bought/built by investors(international companies etc). They are not in the business to actually look after elderly people, their first and usually only goal is to extract as much money as possible. The well being of their staff/patients is very far down the list of their priorities.

Wasn't in the least surprised at either the content of the program, the mealy official responses (including the talking head "experts" that they roll out in these type of programs anymore to comment on the footage) and fake outrage by spokespersons to what it showed and the lack of a huge amount of response commentary on here about it.

Because, we've been here before (and will again) and plus ca change. The harsh reality is that if you were to bring hidden camera's into most any nursing home, care centre or indeed hospital in the country you would find examples of this type of abuse of vulnerable people (in this case elderly, but also as before, per Ara Attracta, of the special needs community, or of toddlers in preschools).

Part of the issue is the bad apples within all these places, part of it is the miserable wages and appalling working conditions and staff shortages (to a large degree caused by the two previous). Unfortunately part of it as evidenced by the footage last night (with the old caveat, I don't meant to be racist but…..) is the differing cultural norms of many of the foreign workers who seem now to be in the majority in staffing these nursing homes. Whilst it would also be easy to play the race card on this by zoning in on the lack of compassion displayed by many care workers, the reality is that they have also been hung out to dry by management and a profit above all else model of these commercial operations.

I've had the misfortune to witness this level of care of my elderly parents in the last year, both within a state nursing home (during temporary stay) and within the hospital environment. Whilst, thankfully it didn't extend to the disturbing (and admittedly somewhat sensationalised for dramatic effect) extent shown last night, I did witness indifference, ignoring of patients needs through staffing pressures or sometime a couldn't be arsed attitude, but also cultural differences and language barriers leading to gross misunderstandings regarding patients needs and care. I should also add that I found examples of outstanding care by foreign health care assistants and the interaction of Irish HCA's with either of my parents was so minimal that I couldn't really make a proportional comparison between the good and bad in this context.

Finally, like so many other quangos in this country, HIQA is a relatively toothless organisation existing moreso for optics and to feign an appearance of concern and oversight by the state, than to have any real muscle in affecting any significant embedded institutional change. Cross the ti's and dot the i's and make it look like they have an effect inspection regieme but it all just wallpapering over the glaring cracks

I wish they would disband all of these quangos. The money could then be spent on nursing homes.

Make it so that people can actually afford to go to nursing homes.

I have experience of two close relatives going to a nursing home. The standard of care was amazingly good. Unfortunately the cost is eye-watering. One relative never worked in their life and gets the bulk paid for them via fair deal. However, we have to make up the large shortfall each month. The other relative did work and were hammered with 'fair deal'. It cost thousands per month.

I would kind of hope that I don't end up in a nursing home because of the costs. I'd like to leave something to my children, or a least make it so they are not paying for me.

It must be so depressing for the well-run organisations.

There are superb nursing centers where family members receive wonderful care and attention.

As for RTE investigation, I would say it was an agency nurse who contacted them.

Ask any agency nurse and they will tell you the ones they would be happy to have a family member in and the ones they would avoid.

I agree with a lot of what you say particularly about how anyone can be employed as a carer.

A few years ago I worked briefly for a firm that provided training for people who wanted to be carers. All you need to be qualified to start work is 2 level 5 modules. These are courses that no one fails so long as they turn up to the classes. I mean a 100% pass rate. To be "fully qualified" requires a major level 5 award of 8 or 10 modules (I can't quite remember which). But you can and will be employed so long as you have the first 2 mandatory ones and are working towards the others.

In my experience the majority of those taking these courses were being subsidised by a training grant from their Local Employment Service. When talking to trainees I got the impression that most were doing the courses because there was really no other work that they would get and be qualified for as easy. A very few were using it as a stepping stone towards other health care roles but for most it was a dead end job for them. The wages are really shocking for what the work is supposed to be and the effort some put in reflect that.

Most welfare states were set up in an age where people lived to 60-70 or so and died quickly. Of course, there was a lot less in terms of health and safety so there were many more accidents in places like factories, mines and so on.

Medical advances and other developments mean that we're living longer such that the period of time we spend more vulnerable and frail is much higher than for previous generations. For various socioeconomic reasons, it is no longer feasible for people to support their ageing parents at the level needed, hence the proliferation of these establishments.

In the UK, they're not part of the NHS but they get their funding from local councils who in turn are funded by council tax, a levy on properties based on their values in 1991. It's absurd but the ultimate result is a system which strips people of their savings before they get so much as a penny from the state they spent their lives paying into.

I don't know how the Irish system works but the only way something like this is improved is by a collective will which seems to be largely absent. Ultimately, as societies age demand for nursing homes will increase meaning they have to be paid for. We either pay more in taxes or start taxing capital and neither option is politically enticing.

I don't understand why HIQA provide advance notification of inspections to the NH. This practice should cease with immediate effect & future inspection visits should be unannounced.

They do both planned and un planned inspections, they do just turn up with no prior notice.