The National Nursing Home Experience Survey — the first ever national survey of nursing home care in Ireland — gets underway today.

Residents in participating nursing homes — HSE, private and voluntary — will have the opportunity to share their views on the quality of care and support they receive, and how this meets their needs. One nominated family member or friend of each resident will also be invited to take part in the survey and comment on the care provided to their loved one.

The findings of the National Nursing Home Experience Survey will enable a greater understanding of the experiences of nursing home residents in Ireland, identifying examples of good care and pinpointing areas that need to be improved.  

The survey contains over 40 questions on topics such as person-centred care, daily routines and activities, privacy, involvement in decisions, staff, and food and nutrition. Residents and their family member or friend will also have the opportunity to comment on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected them.

The Minister for State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD said:

“Ensuring that people who live in nursing homes receive the best possible care and support to live as full a life as possible is a priority. The National Nursing Home Experience Survey is an important initiative that will provide residents and their families the opportunity to have their collective voices heard and to contribute to the enhancement of these services.

“I encourage all those who are invited to take part in the survey to do so. Their input will play a valuable role in the future development of the care and supports provided to residents of nursing homes in Ireland.”

HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards Rachel Flynn said:

“We all have the right to enjoy a good quality of life and receive safe, high-quality care as we age. People who live in residential settings deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, to have their rights upheld, and to be facilitated to exercise personal choice in their daily lives.

“Through this survey, the first of its kind in Ireland, we want to hear what people living in nursing homes think about the care and support they receive, what they like, and what changes they would like to see. We would also encourage family members and friends to share their point of view by completing the postal survey.”

HSE CEO Paul Reid said:

“I am delighted that the first ever National Nursing Home Experience Survey is underway. The survey results will give valuable insights into the care provided in HSE nursing homes and help identify what is working well and what may need to be improved.”

The results of the National Nursing Home Experience Survey will be published at the end of 2022 on yourexperience.ie. You can sign up on the website to be notified when the results are available.

To find out more about the National Nursing Home Experience Survey, visit yourexperience.ie and follow us on social media: @CareExperience (Twitter) and CareExperience (Instagram and Facebook).

Ends.

For further information please contact:
Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
085 8055202, mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the editor:

• A sample of nursing homes, representative of all nursing homes in Ireland, were invited to participate in the National Nursing Home Experience Survey. The survey sample was created by dividing all registered nursing homes into groups based on three characteristics: region (Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Ulster and Dublin), centre size and provider type (public, private and voluntary). Nursing homes were then randomly selected from each of these groups to take part.
• Persons living in participating nursing homes will be invited to share their experiences of the care they receive via face-to-face interviews which commence this week and run until mid-May.
• One family member or friend of each resident in participating nursing homes (known as a ‘designated representative’) will receive a survey in the post this month. The survey can also be completed online.
• The National Nursing Home Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. The Programme also includes the annual National Inpatient Experience Survey and the National Maternity Experience Survey.