Care homes were told to impose a blanket ‘do not resuscitate’ order on all of their residents during the peak of the UK’s coronavirus outbreak, according to a major study. The survey, undertaken by the Queen’s Nursing Institute, found that while care homes were put under “constant” pressure to accept patients with Covid-19, they were […]
The shocking story of the abuse of a blind pensioner by a home carer raises serious issues around the treatment of elderly people in this country. As revealed by a report in the Irish Mail on Sunday, an elderly woman who was blind and vulnerable was treated in an abusive and appalling fashion by a supposed carer who […]
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has said the mismanagement of the covid-19 pandemic in nursing homes is a “national scandal” and called for a public invesigation into the matter. The Meath West TD also criticised the response of Tánaiste Leo Varadkar during Leaders Questions, and stated that the families of victims, and residents of nursing homes […]
Many nursing home residents with breathing difficulties were given morphine instead of oxygen Disturbing figures are coming from Sweden about the number of Covid-19 deaths amongst the elderly. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, half of the people who died in Sweden were residents of nursing homes. Sweden’s approach to the […]
I have written elsewhere about how the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in dangerous and unethical responses like ventilator rationing, unilateral DNRs, and some states ordering nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to accept coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals. But the Covid-19 crisis has also spawned new ideas such as the American Clinicians Academy On Medical Aid in Dying’s policy […]
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has called on the Taoiseach to commit to an Investigation into the crisis in the Nursing Home sector. He says he seeks to ensure “for Public Health reasons, that we do not repeat these mistakes again”. Deputy Tóibín said the investigation “should happen after the Coronavirus crisis subsides”. Speaking in […]
It has come to light that seven residents of a nursing home in in Navan have lost their lives after contracting Covid-19. The Milbury Nursing Home had its first case just a month ago. Local TD Peadar Tóibín said he extended “deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of all those who have lost […]
In the week before Easter, Life Institute (for which I am a spokeswoman) launched a campaign seeking to ensure older people would not be denied life-saving care in this crisis, because decisions regarding the allocation of critical care should never be based solely on age. Events since then have given fresh urgency to the initiative. Disturbing […]
As of 17th April, 302 people have died from the virus in community care settings, which is 62% of all Covid-19 deaths, with 253 of those in nursing homes. Each day, we read on the news about how many cases and deaths there have been, how the curve is flattening, and whether we can ease […]
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has confirmed that almost one-third of nursing homes in Ireland have the Cornavirus, with clusters of Covid-19 now in 155 of the residential care facilities. Professor Jack Lambert, who specialises in infectious diseases at the Mater hospital, has warned that the spread of the virus in nursing homes is “a catastrophe […]
A new study has shown that Irish nursing homes appear to be hit worse by Covid-19 than some other European countries. The international study by Adelina Comas-Herrera and Joseba Zalakain was published by the International Long Term Care Policy Network and examined mortality in care home residents during the coronavirus crisis. In looking at in […]