13/06/2018

Care Home Residents Endured 'Inhuman And Degrading Treatment'

Residents at a Belfast care home endured a "horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment", according to a report.

The damning report, which was published on Wednesday, 13 June, reveals the shocking care given to residents at Dunmurry Manor Care Home, owned by Runwood Care Homes.

The NI Commissioner for Older People, Eddie Lynch, investigated the care of safety of residents with dementia.

Mr Lynch said: "There were significant failures in the safeguarding and care of many residents in Dunmurry Manor, with residents suffering harm through physical and sexual assaults.

"My investigation found that many of these terrible incidents occurred during periods of time when the regulator, the RQIA, reported the home to be meeting the required standards of care."

The commissioner's report makes 59 recommendations - among them that an adult safeguarding bill should be introduced without delay and that all staff in care settings should be trained in the implications of human rights on their work.

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said: "I note and accept also the recommendation for an Adult Safeguarding Bill, which is required urgently - but of course cannot happen because others are refusing to take responsibility to enable legislation for Northern Ireland to be passed. This is an example of administrative failure but will also soon be an example of political failure if a legislative assembly of some form is not swiftly restored.

"Fundamentally this is an issue of people's human dignity being taken from them. It will require people to take responsibility to put it right, and to ensure families that this is not being repeated and cannot be repeated."

(CD)

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