An inspection of a south-east Clare nursing home has identified risks of cross contamination and infection to patients.
The Health Information and Quality Authority has found that while Cratloe Nursing Home has taken action to address hazards previously observed, it remains not fully compliant in several areas.
HIQA inspectors visited Cratloe Nursing Home, located in Gallows Hill, Cratloe, on February 29th of this year.
Following the inspectors’ last visit, non-compliances were identified in the areas of Premises’ and Fire Precautions, but the report notes action has been taken since “to address some of the potential safety hazards”.
Infection Control was found to be an area of concern as open top refuse bins were observed in most bedrooms, posing a risk of cross contamination, while a bedpan disinfection machine was found to be “rusted, in a poor state of repair and not operating”.
As a result, infection prevention and control practices at the facility have been deemed not to be in line with national standards.
The report also refers to issues in the area of Governance and Management, stating that inspectors have found “disparities between the high levels of compliance reported in a number of the centre’s own audits and the inspectors’ findings in these areas of service during the inspection”.
In the two areas of Infection Control and Governance and Management, the facility was found to be non-compliant, while it was deemed just substantially compliant in the areas of Training and Staff Development, Records, Contract for the Provision of Services, Premises, Fire Precautions and Protection.
The provider, Cosgrave Nursing Consultancy, has pledged to rectify all issues identified, stating, for example, that open-top bins have been replaced with covered bins “to ensure all waste bins are covered to prevent cross contamination and transmission of infection”.
