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DROGHEDA DISTRICT COURT has issued a closure order for a nursing home in Co Meath following an inspection which found that residents were at risk of developing hypothermia there.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) had sought an order to close the Creevelea House Nursing Home in Laytown following an inspection in November during which staff were ordered to give blankets and hot drinks to residents, such was the cold temperature at the time.
On that instance, the court had been told two weeks ago, even the staff at the facility had complained about the heating. The visit had coincided with a period of particularly cold weather.
During the same visit, an inspector was unable to learn when a frail 93-year-old patient had last eaten. The only fresh food she found in the kitchen during her visit was a single turnip.
The Drogheda Independent then reported how the court was told that the facility’s oven had broken down on Christmas Eve, forcing a chef there to cook Christmas dinner for the residents at home and then bring it into the home.
The facility’s owner Peter Murphy was due to give evidence when the case resumed at the court this morning, but the court was today told that Murphy was consenting to the order and the case was concluded.
A HIQA spokesman said the HSE would be in contact with the residents and their families to arrange their transfer to appropriate nearby accommodation.
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How in hell was those conditions allowed to continue?
Surely some of the staff should have spoken up? A terrible situation.
You don’t try to treat animals like that if you have any form of decency!
It’s absolutely disgraceful how the most vulnerable in our society are treated. shocking
I totally agree with both of you, The most vulnerable in society the young and elderly must be cherished and protected especially from a cowboy like the owner of this nursing home.
Unfortunately, it is the residents who will end up being most effected, this was their home and now they will be moved elsewhere, very traumatic for anyone but especially the elderly. I hope they throw the book at the owner.
This residential home isn’t far from me, and it faces directly out to sea so imagine the wind chill alone especially during the cold snap last year. It is sickening to think that business men have been allowed to operate and profit for years from these types of institutions. My heart goes out to the residents and their families. I’m sure creevala and ross trevor are only the tip of the iceberg in these investigations.
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