Galway Bay fm newsroom – A whistleblower who worked at a Spiddal care home has been awarded almost 18 thousand euro after being suspended for reporting alleged elder abuse.
The Labour Court has ordered the owners of Aras Chois Fharraige to pay former care assistant Anna Monaghan after she made a protected disclosure to health watchdog HIQA.
Anna Monaghan made a protected disclosure to the Health Information and Quality authority in April 2014 regarding patient care at Aras Chois Fharraige in Spiddal.
Ms. Monaghan, who is aged in her 50’s and a mother of 9, was subsequently suspended with pay from June 20th to November 7th.
Upon visiting the home in an unannounced inspection, HIQA inspectors detected a string of major non-compliance breaches which were a cause for serious concern.
These concerns included the areas of nutrition management, wounds, falls and epilepsy – and it was ultimately concluded that resident’s wellbeing and welfare was not being maintained to a high standard of nursing care.
In its ruling in the case, the Labour court awarded Ms. Monagahan €17,500 and found her suspension was due to her disclosure of information – a claim denied by the owners of the Spiddal home.
According to the Irish Times, a HIQA inspection in March of this year found improvements in all aspects of care at the home – and the healthcare needs of residents are being met.
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