A health board began a court bid today to shut down a Dublin nursing home because of "extemely serious" breaches of operation guidelines.
The South Western Area Health Board claimed in the High Court that the 23 elderly residents in Rostrevor Nursing Home premises are "at immediate risk" if it remains open.
The court heard that inspectors found one patient's dressing got contaminated with faeces, drugs were left unattended and an unlocked door allowed "elderly and vulnerable" residents to freely wander.
Junior Counsel Mary Phelan for the health board said these conditions were serious breaches of the Health and Nursing Home Act (1990) and the Nursing Home Care & Welfare Regulations (1993) which ensured minimum standards in the industry.
Health board inspectors visited the premises on Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin
seven times in the past 12 months and there was "no substantial change" to the conditions.
Inspectors also expressed concerns about staffing levels, fire regulations, hygiene, record-keeping and the treatment of bed sores suffered by residents.
The health board wants to disqualify the owner from running the premises and subsequently remove it from the national Register of Nursing Homes.
The claims are denied by the Rathgar premises, which is privately owned and run by Dublin businesswoman Ms Terese Lipsett, who didn't appear in court.
Lawyers for the nursing home will present their defence submissions tomorrow before Ms Justice Mary Finlay-Geoghegan.
It is contesting the claims and insisting that the relatives of the residents are happy for them to remain in the home.
In earlier submissions, the court heard that a doctor had expressed reservations about the conditions in January 2001.
PA