Staff at an Athlone Nursing Home have gone above and beyond according to residents in a recent HIQA inspection.
Sonas Nursing Home in the town was the subject of a short notice inspection in June.
While a non-compliance and several substantial compliances were recorded, residents stated they enjoyed a high level of satisfaction with the care and service they received.
Fire safety procedures were the only non compliance recorded at the Athlone centre by members of the inspection team.
It was found that while there were a wide range of measures in place to protect the residents and staff in the event of fire, the centres evacuation plans needed re-evaluation due to unclear procedures in the case of an emergency evacuation.
Several substantial compliances were recorded in the areas of infection control, premises and governance.
Under infection control, inspectors found that a review was required of cleaning, storage and supervision procedures at the centre.
Bedroom floor covers were damaged in some rooms and required replacement while a review of hand hygiene sinks to ensure effectiveness was also suggested.
Overall, the report found that Sonas Nursing Home in Athlone was a good service run by a dedicated management team and staff who worked hard to provide a high standard of quality care.
In a statement to Shannonside Northern Sound, the Nursing Home has confirmed that the highlighted issues are now being addressed as part of an agreed compliance plan with HIQA and they are very happy with the overall findings of this report.
