Inspectors had to abandon report to ensure safety of residents at Kildare care home

The St Raphael's care centre in Celbridge met compliance measures in just one of seven areas inspected by HIQA during a planned inspection of the residential home last July.

Despite being given advanced notice of the inspection, the home was found to be failing in so many areas that the inspectors were forced to abandon their inspection and take immediate reaction to ensure the safety of the resident.

The HIQA report, according to the Mail On Sunday, found that residents were being spat at, beaten and subjected to sexual behaviour.

"Given this was the third inspection of this centre, inspectors were very concerned that, in the key areas of residents rights, dignity, safety, risk management, health care and governance, major non-compliance was found," detailed the report.

"Furthermore, it was very concerning that immediate action had to be issued to safeguard residents on this inspection."

There were 20 intellectually disabled residents at the home in north Kildare, and it was found that the only area of inspection that was met with compliance was the allocation of medication to residents. Some of the details in the report are truly shocking, with one resident telling inspectors that they were afraid of living in the centre and did not feel safe.

There were reports of one resident remaining in bed for eight hours during the day and receiving little interaction from carers, residents were not permitted to use the garden during the day when the weather reached 28 degrees, and there were cases of more aggressive and disruptive behaviours being placed with residents they should not have been housed with.

The centre was closed last February following the publishing of the HIQA report.