Nursing Homes

97. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that the dementia unit in Sarsfield Court is still proposed for closure given her commitment that no resident would move unless families are satisfied and the number of families who do not want their loved ones to move. [72875/26]

The HSE claimed that Sarsfield Court dementia clinic in Glanmire in Cork is closing due to a non-compliance notification, despite the fact that the notification was issued following its receipt by family members. Why is the HSE adamant about closing the dementia unit in Glanmire, County Cork?

I thank Deputy Buckley who is taking this question on behalf of Deputy Gould. Deputy Gould has raised this matter with me on a previous occasion. Unit 1 in St. Stephen's Hospital in Glanmire, County Cork is a designated centre for older people and is registered by HIQA. There are currently eight residents in the dementia specific unit. It is the only older persons unit on the grounds of St. Stephen's campus. All other units on the site deliver services under the registration of the Mental Health Commission. HSE South West has taken the decision to deregister unit 1 as an older person's facility, with a view to re-registering the unit with the Mental Health Commission to better co-ordinate the mental health services on site. I appreciate this is a very difficult time for the residents and their families. The HSE advises that all eight residents in unit 1 will be transferred to residential care facilities which meet their particular care needs and preferences in a phased and planned manner. The HSE advises it is currently engaged in a comprehensive process of engagement, consultation and planning with residents, families and staff. The Department of Health, the HSE and I are committed to ensuring that the care needs and preferences of the eight residents are fully respected and that transfers to new residential facilities happen in a phased, safe and considered manner with the full consent of all residents and their families. I have taken a very deep personal interest in this matter. I have been in very regular contact with the HSE South West and the integrated healthcare area, IHA, manager to ensure engagement takes place with the residents and their families. I have spoken to any of the families who have contacted me. The most important people here are the residents and their families. Intensive engagement is underway. The HSE is meeting the eight families and residents about alternative locations. That will be based on assessments of their needs and preferences. The residents will be located in the Cork city and east Cork area. This is about the residents. I want to allow the process to take place and ensure the HSE will continue to meet with residents.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. From previous experience with the patients in the Owenacurra care centre, when there was so-called consultation, that did not happen with families. It was take it or leave it syndrome. I do not want to see that happen again. I want to acknowledge that the Minister of State is coming to Midleton tomorrow to open another section of a unit in Midleton Community Hospital. I also want to flag that while it is great to have extra beds, the hospital has not taken on an extra staff member. The Minister of State is heading into a crisis tomorrow when he comes to Midleton because there are no additional staff to service the ten additional beds. I have received reams of complaints. The Minister of State is being told in the replies we get to questions that there will be consultation with family members. I fear that process will not be done properly and it will be a case of take it or leave it. People will be told that their family members are going here or there, like it or leave it. I wanted to flag that.

That will not be the case under my watch. I have spoken to the HSE about this in depth. This is about the older people and residents and no one else, from my perspective. I am very much looking forward to going to Midleton tomorrow. We are opening a new 50-bed community nursing unit. There are 37 residents and we want to build on that. There is engagement between the HSE South West, unions and staff, and I want that to continue. Tomorrow, the new state-of-the-art centre will open and I look forward to that. I hope engagement will take place in the normal way between the HSE South West, unions and staff to resolve any issues and that we get to a point where we have a new state-of-the-art nursing home for the people of Midleton, east Cork and the wider area. I very much look forward to seeing the new unit open.

I thank the Minister of State. As I said, I have already written to the HSE and am awaiting a response. I have raised my concerns. We do not want to be constantly negative. People get involved in politics to be genuine and try to help people. I take on board what the Minister of State said. On behalf of the families and following what the Minister of State said, I want to state that it sometimes does not suit people when things are changed. If we treat people with dignity and respect and build trust, people feel their loved ones are getting care in an alternative location if they cannot get it in Sarsfield Court. People's main concern is that things are done right because there were issues with the HSE when it blamed the changes on the fact that it was a mental health unit. One patient was pitted against another and the HSE said it could not look after patients with mental health difficulties because there would be too much stress on dementia patients. That is not true. That is not the fault of the Minister of State; some of the management in the HSE made up a bad excuse and patients suffered.

I can provide further reassurance that engagement with residents is ongoing. The residents and their families will be accommodated as many times as they wish in meeting the HSE. They will be properly assessed and will go to places of their preference. I want to ensure that the engagement continues. I want to allow the engagement between the HSE and residents to continue. It is something on which I will keep a very close eye. If I need to do further work, I will. I want the process to happen. The St. Stephen's site is predominantly a mental health facility. As unit 1 is an older person's dementia facility, it has taken a clinical decision and that is something I have to take on board. Fundamentally, I want the residents and their families to be satisfied. That is something I will continue to work on. I will keep a very close eye on the matter. The normal engagement between the HSE, unions and staff should continue. We have a great new 50-bed facility which will open tomorrow.