The Health Information and Quality Authority today published the National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People. The standards will safeguard and protect the rights of older people living in residential care settings and will support service providers in providing the highest quality of care. 

For the first time, all residential care settings for older people run by private and voluntary providers and the Health Service Executive will be inspected by an independent Authority. Once the necessary regulations, set by the Minister for Health and Children, are in place, the Social Services Inspectorate of the Authority will register and inspect all these residential care settings to ensure that they are delivering care in accordance with the new quality standards.

Speaking at the launch of The National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People, Tracey Cooper, Chief Executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority said; "This is a significant and important day for older people in Ireland. For the first time, we have quality standards that clearly set down what is expected of a provider of services and what a resident, their family, carer or the public can expect to receive in residential care settings. As has been demonstrated in the past, the most vulnerable of older people must be protected and supported to live a quality life in a safe, caring and respectful environment and I believe that these are at the heart of these standards".

"The Health Information and Quality Authority is today publishing a set of 32 quality standards which set out the rights of residents in residential care settings in the areas of protection, health and social care needs, quality of life, staffing, the care environment and governance and management. They have been developed following an extensive consultation and I’d like to thank those who have shared their views with us. The standards have been submitted to the Minister for Health and Children to be mandated by her and will be subject to a Regulatory Impact Assessment by the Department of Health and Children following which regulations will be developed and the registration and inspection against the standards will begin".

Dr Marion Witton, Chief Inspector of Social Services at the Health Information and Quality Authority said; "At the heart of the new standards is a deeper focus on the individual needs of residents. Each resident must now receive a contract setting out what they can expect regarding accommodation, care and services. Residents’ independence should be preserved and they should be able to enjoy a flexible daily routine which can be varied to suit their needs. Where appropriate, their lives in the residential care setting should reflect as far as possible the lives they lived before they entered their new home. The emphasis will be on evidence that residents are being looked after properly and that individual needs are being met".

"The Standards have been developed to promote good practice. The new system of registration and inspection will provide a rigorous process to drive improvements in the quality of care. The registration and inspection process will also be a deterrent to unqualified or inappropriate people establishing residential care homes. Service users and their families will also gain confidence from the fact that an independent Authority is now registering and inspecting residential care settings against a defined set of national quality standards.

The delivery of quality services to older people is a shared priority and in developing these Standards, an inclusive approach was adopted by the Authority to ensure that all stakeholders had the opportunity to have an input into their development. They have been developed following a public consultation and in partnership with service users, service providers, healthcare professionals, older persons representative groups, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Ends.

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

01 8047651 / 086 2447623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie