Elderly people’s homes spot-checked annually

All homes for the elderly, be they state, private or church owned, are subjected to spot-checks by the Health Care Standards Directorate at least once a year, and undergo additional seasonal inspections to ensure temperatures within their buildings are adequate, health minister Chris Fearne has said.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Democratic Party MP Godfrey Farrugia, regarding standards for elderly homes, Fearne said that the random spot-checks had been introduced this year to enable inspectors to get a clear picture of what normally goes on within the homes.

Homes can only retain their licence if it has been confirmed that all recommendations given to them by the inspectors have been adhered to, Fearne said, with a risk analysis taking place after each spot-check to determine if a follow-up inspection would be needed.

“In certain cases, the management [of the home in question] is asked to attend a meeting at the Directorate. The questionnaire used during the inspections reflects the minimum standards for elderly people’s homes, which were published in 2015,” Fearne said, adding that interviews with patients and regular seminars for the employees and management of the homes were also held.

The standards by which such homes are judged cover areas such as healthcare, privacy and dignity, social activities, meals, building conditions, staff training and management ethics.