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Nursing Homes

Guarded welcome for new Nursing Home Standards

Date Released: 11 Mar 2008

SIPTU has welcomed the new standards for nursing homes, approved by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).  However, SIPTU’s Nursing Homes Organiser, Paul Hardy, said it was unfortunate that employment standards barely get a mention.

“Our members are concerned that national quality standards for nursing home care - published by HIQA today - make little or no reference to crucial staffing issues and employment standards in Irish nursing homes,” he said

“While we welcome the introduction of nursing home standards in the public and private sector, the proposals do not go far enough in protecting the staff who work in the sector.  Poor employment standards - especially in many private nursing homes – means dedicated staff are not encouraged to develop their skills and expertise in the sector, resulting in a high turnover of nursing care staff which is not good for the residents.

“A reference to employment standards was included in the original draft but was removed by HIQA.  We consider such an omission from the new standards to be a very serious matter and will be calling on the Minister to re-examine the proposals before they become law,”

“It is crucial”, he said, “that the inspectorate commence work as soon as possible. But with some 26,000 older persons, in the care of nursing homes, it is imperative that the existing clauses which deal with standards of care in the 1990 Home Care Act be amended in order to ensure that issues like patient-staff ratios and staff training are brought to a uniform national standard.

Mr. Hardy also expressed dissatisfaction with the varying practices in pay and conditions for all grades of staff within the private nursing home sector.  “Many staff in private nursing homes are expected to exist on minimum rates of pay with no premiums for unsocial hours - either at night or on Sundays.  National pay awards are not always implemented and some employers have told staff they will have to pay for their own training, as the new standards make no reference to employers having to cover their cost.

SIPTU intends to present a proposal to the Minister for Health, to address the pay and conditions of workers in the sector so as to ensure the highest standards of health care are delivered to those in nursing homes,” he concluded.





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