A report examining the potential financial and patient care risks from the increased privatisation of the nursing home sector has been commissioned by the Department of Health.
Minister of State for older people Kieran O’Donnell told the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday that the report was due in September.
His appearance followed a programme by RTÉ Investigates that highlighted instances of alleged abuse at Beneavin Manor, Dublin, and The Residence, Portlaoise.
Both homes are run by Emeis, the largest provider of private nursing home beds in the State.
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The programme included footage of frail, older people, some of whom had dementia, allegedly being manhandled, “forced” down into chairs and left for hours. It showed them being left in incontinence pads for so long their clothes were soaked and being ignored when they pleaded for help to go to the toilet.
Speaking to politicians, Mr O’Donnell said 75 per cent of nursing homes in Ireland are now privately run, adding: “I would have concerns around the growth in the groups area.”
The Minister said the department commissioned a European body to look at the increased corporate group ownership of nursing homes, and the potential risks this creates both financially and in the case of quality of care. It would be “considered greatly” he said.
The Minister also revealed that his officials have informed him of “notifiable incidents” in two other nursing homes, one of which now involved the gardaí. “They were very serious incidents,” he said.
In light of the issues highlighted in the Emeis-run homes, Mr O’Donnell said it was his hope to bring forward safeguarding legislation “as a matter of urgency”.
Speaking at the same meeting, officials from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which regulates the nursing home sector, said it has a number of levers to ensure compliance with regulations, the cancellation of a registration being a “nuclear option” of “last resort”.
Last year, the HSE took over six nursing homes that were operated by private entities. Furthermore, 95 homes have additional conditions attached to their registration as of June 5th. Most of these are HSE-run centres.
Such conditions can relate to a number of areas, including staffing levels, specific care procedures or the number of residents a centre may accommodate.
Hiqa said that due to the “changing landscape” of increased corporatisation, there was a need to change the regulatory framework.
Angela Fitzgerald, chief executive, said under the current system the body can only direct individual providers to do something and it does not have “powers” to direct corporate companies.
“We work on the basis of co-operation,” she said, calling for Hiqa’s regulatory powers to be increased in this area.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that the “nuclear option” of closing a nursing home for significant failings “has to be on the table”.
He said it was up to the HSE and others “to resolve the consequential crisis that occurs when a decision to close is made. But we shouldn’t baulk from that decision because of that.”
The Taoiseach said he had “no issue” with larger fines for repeated failures but stressed closure had to be an option.
An interim report on the two homes featured by RTÉ-found the watchdog had received more than 230 allegations of suspected or confirmed abuse of residents since 2022.
Emeis Ireland apologised “unequivocally” to all residents and their families following the programme.
“We recognise and deeply regret the breach of trust that has occurred in relation to the service standards we promise, and for any failure to uphold the dignity of some residents at all times,” the company said.
