An inspection of an Ennis centre for older people has found cutlery and crockery intended for resident use “visibly unclean and ingrained with food debris”.
Cahercalla Community Hospital was found to be non-compliant in four areas assessed with food preparation areas deemed in a “poor unhygenic state”.
The Health Inspection and Quality Authority carried out an unannounced inspection at Cahercalla Community Hospital, Cahercalla Road, Ennis on the 7th of June.
The designated centre for older people, which has been in operation since 1951, is registered to accommodate up to 112 residents and had 107 present on the day of inspection.
While residents generally said they felt safe and comfortable, with one saying “they never ring the call bell for assistance, as the staff routinely check on how they are throughout the day,” a number of problems were observed in the upkeep and management of the facility.
‘Governance and management’ was highlighted as a primary area of concern due to “poor oversight of cleanliness and state of repair of the building” with one resident saying “clean cups, saucers and jugs would be nice” and for this reason, Cahercalla was found to be non-compliant in this area.
Non-compliance was also noted in the area of ‘infection control’ with a number of practices found to be posing a risk of cross infection such as a urinal bottle containing residual urine being stored on a drying rack alongside clean equipment.
Additionally, Cahercalla was found to be non-compliant in the areas of ‘premises’ and ‘health care’.
In its obligatory compliance plans, the facility’s management team said it would “ensure that management systems are in place to ensure that the service provided is safe, appropriate, consistent and effectively monitored”.
The full report is available here
