A court has heard how a coat hanger and a light fitting were used instead of the correct drip stand in the artificial feeding of a patient in a nursing home in co Louth.
Helen Thornton was part of the HSE inspection team that visited Castle Lodge, Sea Road, Castlebellingham, in September 2005. The prosecutions were brought by the Health Service Executive against Devey Healthcare Limited, St Doolagh's Park, Malahide Road, Balgriffin, Dublin.
It is the registered owner of Castle Lodge and also of Delvin Lodge, a nursing home in Gormanston, Co Meath, in relation to which it also pleaded guilty to breaches of the Nursing Homes Care and Welfare Regulations. The company was fined €6,100 in relation to 12 summonses.
Ms Thornton also described to Judge Flann Brennan at Dundalk District Court how a PEG or artificial feeding pump and stand in one bedroom in Delvin Lodge nursing home had been dirty.
She said the PEG feeding tube "goes directly into the stomach" and "if it is dirty it is a source of infection".
In relation to using the clothes hanger in Castle Lodge, John Martin, defending, said his clients accepted the proper piece of equipment was not working and said some "inventive" person used a coat hanger as a hook and it was better than not providing the feed.
"Of course it is but there should be a spare one. It is inappropriate, you wouldn't use it at home," Ms Thornton replied.
The company entered guilty pleas to eight summonses relating to Delvin Lodge and four relating to Castle Lodge.
At Delvin Lodge, where there were 62 patients at the time of the inspection in July 2005, the company admitted failing to provide a high standard of nursing care.
The court heard the HSE team found the carpet to be dirty and heavily stained in places. One bedroom had not been cleaned since a patient had died "days previously", with clothing and personal effects untouched and the bed linen unchanged. The bed linen and towels were "poor, worn and grubby".
In one room, a man whose legs had been amputated had been without a hoist. She said he would therefore be confined to bed and at risk of pressure sores, constipation and pneumonia. Mr Martin said this man was a self-caring patient who had no hoist for a week. "I wouldn't have described him as self-caring," she replied.
In relation to Castle Lodge Judge Flann Brennan heard an open bin for used incontinence pads was found in one room. The team also found the improvised PEG feeder, a dirty house and a nebuliser that needed cleaning in other rooms.