This Government is committed to the provision of a quality public nursing home service underpinned by a regulatory system of registration and inspection.
National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland provides the framework for Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to assess whether residential services are providing high quality, safe and effective services and supports to residents. There are 32 Standards. Each one is supported by a number of criteria. These criteria are indicative rather than prescriptive, setting out how a service can be measured as to whether the standard is being met or not.
Standard 25 addresses the physical environment for all types of nursing homes. When the Standards were introduced a distinction was made between new and existing facilities, indicating that, except in limited circumstances, existing facilities should have no more than two residents per room by 2015. The Chief Inspector of Social Services (HIQA) has discretion to extend this timeframe. In contrast the criteria for all new builds, new extensions or first time registrations indicate that a minimum of 80% of residents should be accommodated in single rooms and that all bedrooms should have en suite facilities.
In 2013 HIQA issued a regulatory notice advising the sector that “where particular criteria regarding premises are not met in the Centre, the provider must provide clear evidence of the other ways by which they are reaching the Standard and must demonstrate to the Chief Inspector that these alternative arrangements are delivering on the Standard for each individual resident. In the case of Standard 25, the Chief Inspector will require substantial and exceptional justification for any premises which purports to meet Standard 25 without implementation of the individual criteria.”
In this context the HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for capital works in the most effective way possible to meet residential need now and in the future.
