There were significant fire risks in a Edgeworthstown nursing home, according to the health watchdog. Hiqa also found a large amount of dead residents' belongings were being stored in Our Lady's Manor Nursing Home. The health regulator carried out an unannounced inspection in May, when 51 residents were living in the nursing home. It found there was a shortage of staff, with only five staff rostered on night duty to cover three floors. Inspectors said there was not enough staff during night time hours to safely evacuate residents if there was a fire. It also found other fire risks - like the inappropriate storage of flammable items in a store room.
Hiqa asked the nursing home to carry out some urgent actions to improve fire safety - like removing a bag of rubbish from a staff smoking room and cardboard boxes from a lift machine room. The watchdog also said some rooms were not clean, and there were stained urinals and unclean commodes. It also said a significant amount of personal belongings of deceased residents were being stored in the nursing home. The nursing home has outlined to Hiqa how it is addressing the issues highlighted, including fire safety and staffing issues.
