HIQA report critical of care plan and record keeping at Laois nursing home

An unannounced HIQA inspection of Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home found issues with record keeping and care plans. 

There were 61 residents in the nursing home at the time of the inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority(HIQA) on May 15 last. 

Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home has 68 single bedrooms and three twin rooms. It is staffed by qualified nursing staff and caters for adults whose dependency levels range from low to maximum. 

According to the latest HIQA report, residents living in the nursing home told the inspector that the care and support they received was of a very good standard.  They said they felt at home, safe and comfortable living in the centre. Residents described the staff as kind, respectful and patient, and this made residents feel safe in their care.

However, an inspector noted that the management of records at the home was not in keeping with regulatory requirements. 

This included the record of a resident suffering an injury not containing all of the required information. Records of specialist treatment care were also not in line with requirements, according to the report. 

It found records of safety checks for residents at high risk of absconsion were poorly maintained and unavailable for review.

“Care plans were not guided by a comprehensive assessment of the residents care needs. For example, some resident's care plans did not accurately reflect the needs of the residents and did not identify interventions in place to protect residents when identified as a high risk of falls or at risk of malnutrition,” the report noted. 

“Care plans were not reviewed or updated when a resident's condition changed. For example, the care plan of a resident with complex care needs did not have their care plan updated to reflect the requirement for increased supervision of the resident. Consequently, the care plan developed did not detail the interventions necessary to support residents who required close monitoring and supervision,” the report found. 

It said that following the inspection, the Director Of Nursing and nursing team would review all care plans and assessments to ensure they are comprehensive and guide staff on the care needs of residents by July 1, 2024

“From 1st July 2024, the regional team will review care planning and assessment audits at the monthly governance meetings to ensure that care plans are completed, reflective of the care needs of residents and are updated in a timely manner,” the nursing home stated. 

They said by June 14, 2024, a  review had been completed to ensure that the documentation of incidents is in line with the approved policy and includes a robust investigation and root cause analysis, learning identified and an action plan. 

“Enhanced supervision has been in place through the regional team and training for staff for staff has been provided to ensure all documentation is completed to reflect care delivered and safety checks, in a timely and comprehensive manner,” the nursing home added. 

They said the measures were in place a month after the inspection on June 14.