Mayo senator's concern over "excessive use of sedatives in nursing home settings"

A Mayo Oireachtas member has expressed concerns over what she described as "the excessive use of sedatives in nursing home settings."

Speaking in An Seanad, Senator Lisa Chambers stated: "They are at times used to maybe ease the burden where there are staff shortages and to make it easier to care for somebody.

"I have direct experience of a couple of cases.

"There are serious questions to be asked and it is right to point out that the people at HIQA do an important job but they are not clinicians. Maybe at times things get missed."

Senator Chambers stated there is much work to do in respect of home care settings because Ireland has an ageing population.

"We will all hopefully have the privilege of getting to old age, will require care in our later years and it may not always be possible to stay in one's home.

"I like the idea of the greenhouse model and clustered settings.

"We have some small villages in parts of the country.

"In my town of Castlebar we have a setting of one- and two-bedroom houses with a community centre in the centre where older people can live independently but are checked on regularly and there is space for care to be provided.

"That model should be available for those who want it."