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Áras Attracta

Controversial Áras Attracta home failed to protect resident who fell on wet floor

Follow-up inspections found there are still a large number of failings at the home.

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS at the Áras Attracta care home which featured in a shocking RTÉ Prime Time programme have revealed there are still a large number of failings.

An inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority of the care home in Swinford, Mayo in January of this year identified 10 areas of non-compliance at Centres 1, 2 and 3.

Unauthorised access

In a report published today, HIQA said while procedures were in place to protect the residents from being harmed or suffering abuse, they had not been consistently implemented in all areas of the centre.

This included the risk of unauthorised access to living areas, staff not implementing agreed positive behaviour support arrangements and issues relating to the use of medication to manage behaviour.

In once incident, a resident fell on a wet floor as staff failed to put proper prevention measures in place. Residents were also seen smoking unsupervised.

Some residents’ privacy and dignity was not supported, HIQA said. Bathroom and toilet facilities in some of the bungalows did not have arrangements in place to ensure the residents could use them in private.

Inspectors also saw housekeeping staff cleaning around residents while they were having their breakfast and trying to relax in the day spaces.

“This did not create a pleasant meal time experience for residents or support them to relax after their meals.”

Notes written by staff in resident files showed they did not have an appropriate awareness of the way in which to engage with residents. One staff members said a particular resident would “play up on you” and another employee, when speaking about a resident, said “I will activate him” when talking about carrying out activities with the residents.

The inspection also found unsafe medication practices were in place and some areas of the centres were not maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.

At different times, inspectors noted a strong smell of urine in two different bungalows.

Read: Shocking Prime Time doc shows elderly, fragile women being hit, kicked and dragged across the floor>

Read: The HSE has NOT abandoned plans to use CCTV in care homes>

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