A prospective resident’s guide to
St. Anne Community Unit for Older
Persons
Westport Road, Clifden
Telephone: 095 – 21189
Fax: 095 – 21060
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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Our aim and objectives............................................................................................. 3
Some history ............................................................................................................ 3
Mission statement ........................................................................................................... 4
Where is St. Anne? .................................................................................................. 4
Preparing for admission .................................................................................................. 4
What to bring on admission? ........................................................................................... 5
What services are on offer?............................................................................................. 5
Nursing .................................................................................................................... 6
Religious activities .................................................................................................... 8
Medical care ............................................................................................................. 9
Catering and mealtimes ........................................................................................... 9
Clothing and laundry .............................................................................................. 10
Visiting St. Anne ............................................................................................................ 10
Home visits/outings with family and friends ............................................................ 11
Multidisciplinary team .................................................................................................... 12
What does the multidisciplinary team do? .............................................................. 12
Case conference .................................................................................................... 12
Family Conference ................................................................................................. 12
Recreational therapy ..................................................................................................... 13
Physical exercise programme ................................................................................ 13
Social programme, diversional therapy and recreation activities ............................ 14
Safety ............................................................................................................................ 14
Valuables and Cash ............................................................................................... 15
Car parking ............................................................................................................ 15
What are the charges for in-patient services?................................................................ 15
Freedom of information ................................................................................................. 16
Complaints Procedure ............................................................................................ 17
Contract of care............................................................................................................. 17
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Introduction
This brochure gives general information about St. Anne’s
Community Nursing Unit (CNU). The unit is part of the
Health Service Executive. Local Health Office (LHO) has its
head office in Galway.
Our purpose, aim and objectives
The purpose of care in St. Anne’s CNU is enabling each
resident to live out his or her life to the full, and participate,
if so wished, in any activity in a safe and secure
environment. Our aim is to provide holistic care to residents
ensuring treatment with respect, dignity and accorded the
right to privacy in a friendly and homely environment. Our
objectives are to:
 Provide high-quality care tailored to address each
resident’s needs as evidenced in the residents’ care
plans.
 Stimulate, maintain and enhance residents’ physical,
psychological and social health, and well-being.
Some history
The Sisters of Mercy built St Anne in 1875 as a domestic
economy training school. In 1970 the Sisters changed the
purpose of St. Anne. It became a nursing facility under the
direction of Galway County Council, managed by the Sisters
of Mercy for older people. From 1972 until 1981 the former
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Western Health Board leased St. Anne from the Order and
used it as a Welfare Home. In 1981 the Western Health
Board bought the buildings. Today, St. Anne is a community
nursing unit offering 34 long-term places to frail older and
maximum dependent persons in need of 24-hours nursing
care. Three General Practitioners (GPs) provide medical care
on request.
Mission statement
Staff in St. Anne promotes a holistic approach to care and is
dedicated to enabling residents to reach their fullest
potential. We focus our nursing on addressing a resident’s
needs with appropriate nursing interventions based on best
available practice. Consequently, we provide the necessary
professional development, education and training
opportunities to all staff to address these needs adequately.
Where is St. Anne?
St. Anne is on the Westport Road in Clifden. There is a large
car park at the rear; access is via Race Course Road.
Preparing for admission
You, with the support of your GP, public health nurse,
consultant psychiatrist of old age, or consultant geriatrician
makes the initial application. Your application goes for
discussion to the HSE – West Admission Committee, which is
organised by the Long-stay Office. This office is on Seamus
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Quirke Road in Galway (091-548429). The purpose of the
discussion is to determine, on medical and nursing grounds,
whether St. Anne is the place for you. There is a waiting list
in operation.
Once you are on the list for St. Anne, a member of staff will
assess your needs from a nursing perspective in order to
determine whether St. Anne can offer you your necessary
nursing care. This assessment usually takes place 14 days
before a possible admission date.
What to bring on admission?
Please bring the following items with you on admission to St.
Anne:
 4 sets of night attire
 4 sets of day wear, including underwear
 One pair of well fitting shoes and slippers
 One dressing gown
 Toiletries such as toothbrush, perfume/aftershave,
deodorant, soap and other personal items
What services are on offer?
Our facilities include nursing care, recreational therapy, arts
and crafts, laundry, and a smoking room. We also provide
podiatry as part of your care package. As soon as is
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practicable after coming to the unit, an occupational
therapist will assess you in relation to sitting and positioning
in a (wheel)chair to prevent you having pressure ulcers. We
also arrange for a referral to the physiotherapist as part of
our prevention to falls activities. We facilitate a local
hairdresser upon request, for which you have to pay
separately.
We have three single rooms, two of which have an en-suite,
four double rooms, three 3-bedded rooms, two 4-bedded
rooms, and one 6-bedded room. There is a large Day room
and some alcoves for private discussions. There are well
maintained grounds with comfortable garden furniture and
an outdoor bowling green.
Forty-four people are involved in your care. They are 12
registered nurses, 11 qualified Health Care Assistants and
11 staff members in the cleaning team, three staff members
in the catering team, one recreational therapist,
maintenance operator, and two administrative officers. Four
locum staff members support the care team to cover leave.
Nursing
A wide range of professionals, from specialised nurses to
very experienced health care assistants, provides the
nursing care. We provide 24-hour nursing care that is
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tailored to your needs. St. Anne’s is committed to
developing a nursing service which meets the challenges and
opportunities ahead.
Staff assesses your needs on the first days of your
admission and use the results for developing your care plan.
A care plan is like a contract of care. The care plan is
dynamic. This means that it may change over time
depending on your needs. It includes:
1.
Your assessments
2.
Actual plan of care
3.
Overview of nursing interventions and
4.
Evaluation of your care over time
We use the care plan also to determine whether appropriate
care is delivered.
We try to give holistic care, which means that we will be
looking after you as a person with physical, social,
psychological and spiritual needs, within available resources.
We work to ensure a warm and homely atmosphere and a
bright, cheerful environment.
The thrust of our activities lies in enabling you to be active.
Through our health promotion activities we support you in
reaching or maintaining your full potential. We help you to
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remember things when needed. You are encouraged to
address washing and bathing needs yourself. However, if
you need assistance, call on the nurses and/or health care
assistants. Care staff will assist you if you are unable to feed
yourself at meal times. We give your prescribed medication
as ordered by your GP. Dressings are usually done in the
morning, or as prescribed by your GP.
Our nursing staff co-ordinates all care. Health care
assistants are part of the care team. They work closely with
the nurses in the delivery of that care. The GP comes to St.
Anne in the evenings or by appointment for consultation by
you and the nursing staff. The nurses arrange
appointments, and organise transfers or visits to
specialists/hospitals.
Religious activities
An oratory is located in the new wing. It is available to all
residents and staff. Our Chaplain is the local curate. He
celebrates Mass every Thursday morning at 11.00 hours in
the Day room. Residents can see the daily and Sunday Mass
in the local church via a television link. Communion,
confession and the Sacrament of the Sick are available every
month, or on special request. Clergy and spiritual advisors of
other denominations are available to residents on request.
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Medical care
Three local GPs are our in-house general practitioners. They
are available for consultation. You may ask staff to make an
appointment for you. If necessary, they will refer you to
specialist medical and psychiatric services. We have links
with University College Galway’s Nursing department.
Catering and mealtimes
Our catering staff meets your nutritional needs. The Chef
and her team cook all meals and snacks for residents and
staff in St. Anne. They facilitate individual dietary needs and
requirements and, wherever possible, we incorporate your
individual preferences. We have a 4-week roll over menu in
place offering soup, meat, fish and poultry dishes, two daily
vegetables and desserts.
We welcome relatives and friends who like to help a resident
with his/her meals if so they so wish.
Breakfast
8.00 am – 9.00 am (08.00 – 09.00)
Drinks
10.00am – 11.00 am (10.00 – 11.00)
Lunch
12.30 pm – 1.30 pm (12.30 – 13.30)
Tea
5.15 pm – 5.45 pm (17.15 – 17.45)
Supper
8.00 pm (20.00)
However, other visiting is restricted during meal times at the
residents’ request. Beverages and light refreshments are
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served at other times during the day and before the
residents settle down for the night.
Clothing and laundry
Residents are encouraged to bring their own clothes,
nightwear and toiletries. Comfortable everyday walking
shoes are required. Please mark all clothes with your name
to prevent them from being mislaid. There is a facility to
send your personal clothes to the St. Anne laundry. We
make every effort to safeguard your clothing – St. Anne,
however, cannot accept any responsibility for damaged or
lost items. If you wish to have your laundry done at home,
please inform the nurse who will arrange for your clothes to
be stored for collection.
Qualified tradesmen, maintenance and household staff, and
a general operative maintain the physical environment. The
Referral to Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech
and Language and Dietetic services are available when
necessary.
Visiting St. Anne
We include your families in our care. The staff in St. Anne
encourages visiting throughout the day. We also welcome
constructive discussions about the resident’s needs to
developing a collaborative care plan. Children are very
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welcome to visit; however, an adult must supervise them at
all times.
There are some times when our residents need some
privacy. This is before 10 am and after 8 pm. If you need to
visit outside these hours, please arrange this with the clinical
nurse manager or the staff nurse in charge. Their telephone
number is 095 – 21189.
Home visits/outings with family and friends
Daily and overnight home visits to family or friends are
encouraged. We make decisions regarding such outings in
consultation with residents, next-of-kin and nursing staff.
Please contact the clinical nurse manager for details, as
notice is required in order to facilitate the resident’s needs.
We developed a guideline for staff and residents around this
topic and this is available on request. According to the
guideline, as a safety precaution, you are required to check
with the clinical nurse manager / nurse in charge before
leaving the premises. She will check that you have the
necessary medicine with you before you leave. She also
knows whether you are physically fit to leave the premises.
Your GP may decide whether you are fit when there is doubt
about your health.
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Multidisciplinary team
The multidisciplinary team looks at the needs of each
individual resident. Members of the multidisciplinary team do
their own assessment because each profession views the
residents from their own perspective. We can distinguish
social, cultural, physical, and mental dimensions in health.
What does the multidisciplinary team do?
The multidisciplinary team (MDT) discusses the care process
and your plan of care. The core team consists of the director
of nursing, your GP, your primary nurse, your primary
health care assistant, the recreational therapist and where
appropriate, team members of the psychiatric team of old
age or community psychiatric services. The MDT holds
reviews, case conferences and family conferences.
Case conference
Periodically, there are case conferences. A case conference
looks in more depth at the health and care needs of a
resident. Case conferences are specifically organised to
discuss the plan of care for a particular resident when the
situation or circumstances have changed considerably.
Family Conference
A family conference is organised at the request of the
resident or his/her next of kin. The extended
multidisciplinary team discusses with the resident and family
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member(s) issues of care. The topics for discussion can
vary. The family might see that the resident is not as active
as before and wonder whether the occupational therapist or
physiotherapist could assess the situation. Family members
might ask if there is any way in which they can contribute to
the resident’s plan of care by taking him/her on social
outings.
Recreational therapy
Recreational therapy allows you to engage in daily tasks,
hobbies, or other activities that are meaningful to you,
despite the presence of an impairment, disability, or
handicap. Therapist and resident and/or next of kin analyse
the situation, and try to change factors together that stop
you from doing the daily tasks that are important to you.
The recreational therapist takes into account your mobility,
engage you in gentle exercise, or will help you to make, for
instance, your own sandwich.
Physical exercise programme
Physical exercise is important throughout the lifespan of any
person. Yoga, and gentle exercise are very important in
maintaining health and well-being. Regular exercise helps to
reduce the risk of falling; falls may cause fractures. Physical
exercise improves the heart and lung function, it improves
your balance and helps with your co-ordination. It also
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improves your body posture, movements, and flexibility,
because it strengthens your muscles.
Social programme, divisional therapy and recreation
activities
We have a varied social and recreational therapy
programme: aromatherapy, reki/reflexology, mobility
games, knitting, current affairs discussions, reminiscence
therapy, and music therapy. The leisure activities include
bingo, arts and crafts, outings, summer gardening, cards,
music, reading, video films of classic musicals and
entertainment. A pet cat lives in the well-maintained
grounds and garden.
Safety
For your safety, you should:
 Not smoke in St. Anne, as we have a non-smoking
policy. There is a smoking room for smokers’
convenience.
 Contact any member of staff if you feel unwell or dizzy
during your stay.
 Make sure that you have any necessary assistance you
require if leaving St. Anne for a visit or an
appointment. Care staff members are available for
escort duty when family members are unavailable.
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 Follow the instructions of staff members in the event of
a fire. They will advise on any evacuation of the
building. You, your relatives and friends should
familiarise yourselves with all exits. If you are unsure
where they are, ask a member of staff.
 Leave any litter in the bins provided.
Valuables and Cash
We accept no responsibility for any items retained by clients
throughout their attendance in St. Anne.
Car parking
Car parking is available on site. St. Anne cannot accept
responsibility for any damages to your car while parked in
the grounds. We ask visitors to keep to the 10km per hour
maximum speed limit as residents are walking in the
grounds. Some of our residents have hearing difficulties and
they may not hear your car coming.
What are the charges for in-patient services?
All residents are charged for their stay once they have
received 30 days care within the previous 12 months. Care
provided in other HSE care settings (non-acute) will also be
included in calculating the 30 days. Under Section 4(b)(6) of
the Health (Amendment) Act 2005, all new residents
receiving services from 14th July 2005, are financially
assessed in order to establish their ability to pay
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maintenance charges. The regulations provide for two
different levels of charge, namely a maximum of €120 where
24-hour nursing care is provided, or a lesser charge of
maximum €90 where nursing care is provided on a less than
24-hour basis.
St. Anne only provides 24-hour nursing care. The weekly
charge applicable to residents in receipt of in-patient
services in St. Anne is €153,20 or the weekly income of that
person minus €35, whichever is the lesser. This will change.
New charges will be set by the HSE as soon as the Fair Deal
legislation is implemented. Anyone admitted after the 28th of
September will undergo a medical and financial assessment
prior to being admitted to the unit.
Freedom of information
St. Anne holds records and information relating to its
services, clients and staff. St. Anne has a policy of openness
and transparency and makes as much information as
possible available to the public on a routine basis. In certain
cases where information contains personal records, or is of a
sensitive nature, you or your next of kin are asked to
request access through the Freedom of Information Office.
Applications under the Freedom of Information Act should be
in writing and addressed to the Freedom of Information
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Officer. For further information please contact J.J. O’Kane at
095 – 741748.
Complaints Procedure
We have a complaints procedure which is available on
request. We recommend the following steps before a formal
complaint is made:
1. Discuss informally the matter with the person involved
and/or with the clinical nurse manager responsible for
your care. We treat any compliant as a free advice to
enhance our quality of care.
2. If not satisfied, bring a formal complaint to the Director
of Nursing who will start the formal complaints
procedure.
3. You may appeal the local Complaints Manager, and, on
the outcome of this, ultimately to the Ombudsman,
telephone 01 639 5600.
Contract of care
The Health Service Executive (HSE), their servants and
authorised agents undertake to:
1.
Make available and render all services, care and
nursing attention appropriate to the resident’s
condition, as needed from time to time and in
accordance with the relevant Act(s) and
Regulation(s).
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2.
Provide accommodation, full board, nursing care and
nursing attention. Residents receive medical
attention from their General Practitioner, drugs and
medication as available under the health services.
We arrange other services such as Chiropody,
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetic
services, special nursing care and/or hairdressing
where possible and necessary.
3.
Providing a caring, diligent and dedicated service for
the benefit and welfare of the residents and make
every effort to ensure that the resident have full
enjoyment of the premises and its facilities. We
promote that the resident can exercise freedom of
choice ad privacy as to participate in personal
interests and activities, maintain contact with outside
persons and groups, practice their religion and
receive visits. Such freedom of rights is to be limited
only to the extent that it may infringe on the rights
of other persons.
4.
Carefully consider any suggestion from the resident
or from their family, or significant others to
maximise their comforts of care.
5.
Investigate insofar as it is possible any bona fide
complaint made by or on behalf of a resident and
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communicate the result to the complainant, as
described in the complaints procedure.
6.
Provide facilities for the resident personal property,
jewellery, other belongings or monies. The HSE,
their servants and authorised agents shall keep
records of all such resident’s property, provided that
the resident notifies the Director of Nursing/person
in charge that such property has been brought into
St. Anne’s Community Nursing Unit. The resident
should not bring items of great value or large
amounts of cash into St. Anne’s Community Nursing
Unit. No liability whatsoever will be accepted by the
HSE, their servants and authorised agents for any
loss or damage however caused (whether by
negligence or dishonesty) to valuable of any kind or
personal effects which were brought into St. Anne’s
Community Nursing Unit by the resident, relatives,
or his/her significant others.
7.
Provide insurance to cover residents and their
property against injury, or loss except subject to the
exemption referred in the previous point (point 6).
The HSE, Director of Nursing or the person in charge reserve
the right to:
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1.
Have responsibility for the resident in day to day
matters and the management of any ailment or
illness under the direction of the resident’s General
Practitioner. In all cases, we shall respect the dignity
of the resident.
2.
Discuss the condition of the resident only with
immediate family and/or next of kin. This will only
apply is the resident is incapable of understanding
their own medical condition.
3.
Restrict visiting in times of illness or distress or at
the advice of the General Practitioner/nurse in
charge where this is in the best interest of the
resident.
4.
Discharge the resident in the interest and safety to
an appropriate facility if we cannot meet the needs
of the resident in St. Anne’s Community Unit.
5.
Charge a weekly fee of €153,20 per week according
as set as payment of the HSE. Residents who
indicate that their pension will form part of their
payment to the HSE/St. Anne’s Community Nursing
Unit, shall hand such pension book(s) over to the
management of St. Anne’s Community Nursing Unit
when they take up residence. The management of
St. Anne’s will be entitled to be agents for the receipt
of the pension payments for the resident in question.
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Any monies exceeding the weekly fee is lodged in
the patient property account in accordance to HSE
policy and procedures.
I understand and accept the conditions as set out in this
contract of care.
Signature resident………………………………………………………………
Date:
…………………………………………………………
On behalf of St. Anne’s CNU:
Signature:
………………………………………………………….
Grade:
………………………………………………………….
Date:
…………………………………………………………..
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