This is a Teabag!

 This is a Tea Bag!

Dr Margaret Kennedy

 

Watching RTE investigates last night, 4^th June, on the care practises in two nursing homes was the equivalent of watching and being in the midst of a nightmare, a horrifying spectre in front of my eyes. It was like some monster with powerful tentacles reaching, through the screen to grab me. Pulling me into such a place – to hell. Most days I see that hell. And I fight not to enter it. I have written my letters, to no good effect.

The only way we can now reach the politicians who have power to change, is via the visual impact of an undercover programme. Telling them verbally or writing to them seems to cut no ice.

As an older woman aged 72 with a rare neuromuscular disease, a full-time wheelchair user, incontinent and needing care in my home, clinging on to staying at home, none of what the programme showed surprises me. We saw the ‘known’. We know. HIQA knows. The abuse and neglect, the lack of care. lack of staff, lack of training… it’s all known, It’s not a secret.

From my vantage point, age 72, older disabled or ill citizens are abandoned in Ireland. We are being warehoused. ‘Living’ is not discussed. Where did we see life, enjoyment, community in those places?

I have been in three nursing homes for respite care. In one nursing home I lasted 12 hours overnight, in another nursing home - four days, and in a third, a newly built, 100 beds, I lasted 24 hours. I could not stomach the humiliation, disrespect. degradation and the annihilation of who I was. It was excoriating, mentally, physically and emotionally. I have a PhD and yet, a care worker saw fit to tell me what a tea bag was. At that point, enough was enough. Out.

There is less and less community support, help from the HSE.  When I could not fill some gaps in my care rota, I told the elder care team manager, his response “I hope this message finds you well. Unfortunately, I do not have carers available to assist you, this area does not have a statutory home support agency, so we neither have carers available or employed to redirect to you”.

 No help from the HSE is common.

I met Bernard Gloster in March 2024, the HSE CEO for an hour. He made promises. A part time social worker would be employed to sort out my needs. He was kind, listened. Then he sent me an official letter with the agreements made. I felt very hopeful and very happy. So, what did happen? Over a year later - nothing.

Two new part-time social workers have been in post for about six months, now working with other people... but not for me. Not allocated. No reason given. I have written to Bernard Gloster; he has not replied. A year later, the HSE despite Bernard Gloster’s Directive/promise, ignored his letter.

A nursing home will probably be my next step, because there are few carers in the community. More and more nursing homes are being built, I will not be going there. I have made that clear.

A nursing home in Mayo was inspected by HIQA and was found to be non-compliant. It has 69 residents needing nursing care, convalescence, respite, dementia and palliative care. HIQA found overly restrictive practises. There was an over reliance on the use of television to entertain. Many residents were seated in a row in front of the television for long periods, with little engagement or stimulation provided. Residents who spent the majority of their day in their bedrooms were not observed to have any social interaction or access to meaningful activity other than television or radio on the day of inspection. More than ten emergency bells were missing from the resident’s bedrooms. A repeat finding. Water and tea were left too far from reach. I cannot say more. It is too distressing. Are we not human?

I have read many HIQA reports, nearly all report similar findings. The inspections are done, but do conditions improve? When will we call being seated in a row in front of a television all day, emotional and psychological abuse?  When will we say the residents are not safe? When will we call this abuse? Nothing changes. We are warehousing, we do not care for our elderly people. Sitting in front of a television is not quality of living.

We should be inspecting for ‘quality of life’, not just feeding and cleaning, not just dressing and washing. ‘Quality of life’ is about living. Feeling part of the community, being stimulated, having enjoyable things to do. Feeling useful. We should have a meaningful lifestyle even at 80 and 90 years old.

 “I’m not dead yet”, my life should be useful and fulfilling. I will not be warehoused. I will never be warehoused.