National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland

The Health Information and Quality Authority has published the National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland.

The standards are a significant milestone for the protection of the rights of older people in residential care settings across the country. They will guide and assist service providers in the provision of the highest quality of care to their residents. The purpose of the standards is to promote best practice in residential care settings for older people and improve the quality of life of residents in these settings.

The quality standards clearly outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a resident, their family, a carer, or the public can expect to receive in residential care settings.

They deal with the areas of rights of older people; protection; health and social care needs; quality of life; staffing; the care environment; and management and governance. In addition, the standards include supplementary criteria that apply to units which specialise in the care of people with dementia.

The quality standards have been developed based on legislation, research findings and best practice. Development of the standards was done in partnership with service users, service providers, healthcare professionals, older people’s representative groups, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive. These standards were published following an extensive consultation process with the stakeholders mentioned and the wider public.

Please see Frequently Asked Questions for further information