A Donegal Deputy has said that some families in Donegal have put their loved ones into nursing homes to save them from mould.
Deputy Charles Ward outlined the desperate situation faced by many in Donegal who are dealing with defective concrete block homes. Mould issues have made many homes unsafe, Deputy Ward told the Dáil.
“With defective concrete homes there’s always mould issues, and when somebody has respiratory problems and they’re in this home, you basically have no choice, you have to get them out of the house to prolong their life,” Deputy Ward said.
He pointed out that the government is not seeing on the ground how the defective concrete crisis “has its tentacles in every aspect of daily life in Donegal”.
Deputy Ward was speaking yesterday as Labour moved a motion to reform nursing home care and curb the influence of big business in the sector.
The move comes in response to harrowing revelations by RTÉ Investigates into poor standards of care in Emeis nursing homes.
Deputy Ward, a former healthcare worker, said that he has seen first-hand how profits can come before people.
He said: “I can safely say that every aspect of that home is profit driven, from the food you feed people, to the deodorant they use, to the soap they use.”
He said: “It’s a shocking indictment of society when everyone has to go around their nursing home smelling the same and looking the same. If it comes to it, staff have to go buy clothes for residents, that’s how bad it is.”
The Donegal Deputy highlighted issues that he experienced working in private residential homes and with HIQA, criticising the fact that HIQA inspections do not include many areas where residents are frequently cared for.
Deputy Ward warned: “I think we need to emphasise that we have lost our humanity when profit comes before our elder citizens.”
The 100% Redress Party TD also criticised the fact that residential homes are not covered under the government’s defective concrete scheme, saying: “Families with loved ones in nursing homes have more than enough on their plate, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether the building their family member is residing in is safe or structurally sound.”
