Over fifty complaints have been made to the health watchdog regarding nursing homes in the Shannonside region since the start of last year.
According to Hiqa, over 70% of the complaints relate to facilities in Roscommon with one complaint worried that a hairdresser was carrying out services one week before they were supposed to during the lockdown.
The public can submit complaints to the Health Information and Quality Authority if they are unhappy with residents receiving care or social services in Ireland.
According to information released to Shannonside FM under FOI, a total of 53 complaints were made to HIQA about designated centres for older people in the Shannonside region between January 2020 and March of this year.
Over 70%, or 38 complaints, related to facilities in County Roscommon - with issues reported to Hiqa including concerns regarding a visitation ban placed on nursing home due to COVID 19 and staffing levels working in the centre, especially at night time
Other issues raised by 'concerned parties' in Roscommon include allegations that staff who have been advised by the HSE not to attend work being requested to work by managers in the centre, and worries about professional behaviour of a staff member in relation to medication management.
Covid issues dominate the complaints in the last seventeen months - with issues around infection control and prevention featuring in multiple records.
In Leitrim, just seven complaints were logged- including concerns that a relative was being isolated from family because of infection control measures in place.
Eight complaints were logged in Longford - including concerns about the professional behaviour of an employee following a personal posting on social media and allegations that a hairdresser was attending to residents in centre a week earlier than Government guidance and that this may pose a risk.
Hiqa cannot investigate individual complaints but information received can be used to inform the Authority's monitoring of each residential centre.
