Majority of Rostrevor residents now moved
June 18, 2011
EITHNE DONNELLAN, Health Correspondent
THE MAJORITY of residents at a south Dublin nursing home at the centre of elder abuse allegations have now been moved to alternative accommodation, it has been confirmed.
The Health Service Executive, which has taken charge of Rostrevor House nursing home in Rathgar, yesterday said that most of the 23 residents in the private nursing home had been moved out and the remainder were expected to move early next week.
The HSE took over the running of the private nursing home two weeks ago after the Health Information and Quality Authority, which is responsible for inspecting all nursing homes, obtained an interim court order effectively shutting down the facility.
It obtained the order at Dublin District Court, without notice to the owners of the home, after telling the court it had been informed of allegations that residents were beaten, kicked and abused in the home by a male care assistant since mid-2008.
Director of the home Sarah Lipsett claims the allegations are unfounded. The home went to the Circuit Court to try to stop the dispersal of residents from the facility in advance of the District Court making a final pronouncement on Hiqa’s application to have the home’s registration cancelled.
However, its application failed with Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery saying his court had no jurisdiction to hear such a case. The proper place to bring such an application was in the District Court, he said.
The case has still not come back before the District Court for a final order and it is unlikely to do so for at least another week.
Asked to where Rostrevor residents were being moved, a HSE spokeswoman said they were going to alternative accommodation found for them by the HSE in consultation with their families.
It is understood most families were attempting to find other nursing homes in the area so their loved ones could remain close to them.
Meanwhile, a woman who visited an elderly friend in Rostrevor nursing home every day over an eight-month period in 2010 has told The Irish Times she was very impressed with the care assistant who is now being investigated by gardaí for having allegedly physically and verbally abused five elderly residents.
Eileen Coyne, who now lives in Belfast, said she never once heard him raise his voice to anyone, either visitor, resident or colleague. “He impressed me greatly with his kindness, patience and compassion towards my ill friend and everyone he came into contact with,” she said.
In its sworn affidavit to Dublin District Court, Hiqa said it had been provided with details of a number of incidents of alleged abuse perpetrated by the care assistant dating back to 2008.
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