Closure of Thurles nursing home averted after discussions with health watchdog

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The imminent closure of a Mid-Tipp nursing home appears to have been averted.

The owner of St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Thurles had decided to close the facility in January after being told by HIQA that a number of their rooms did not meet the specified size – some of them by a foot and more of them by mere inches.

This would have left residents and their families just a matter of weeks to find somewhere else to reside

Deputy Michael Lowry says a meeting between management of the nursing home and the Health Information and Quality Authority last evening has reached a resolution – if only for the short term.

“HIQA will obviously continue to insist that alterations be made to the building itself and that some of the rooms would be increased in size.

“The solution this time has been to take six beds out of the system – its reduced from 32 to 26. But that doesn’t impact on any patient – every patient will remain and no patient will be asked to leave the nursing home.”

Michael Lowry is meeting later with a number of former staff members over their concerns about management at the facility.