Hiqa refers concerns over nursing home group to Garda

The State’s healthcare regulator has referred concerns about the inappropriate use of residents’ money at nursing homes run by private company Aperee Living to the Garda.

Aperee, who care for more than 500 residents across nine nursing homes, has been the subject of several highly critical recent inspections by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

The regulator has criticised the inappropriate use of residents’ money to cover the running costs of several nursing homes, before topping accounts back up, as well as cases where money had not been returned to deceased residents’ estates.

Hiqa has referred concerns about the misuse of residents’ finances to the Garda, who are examining the matter.

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A Garda spokesman confirmed it was currently “carrying out an assessment” of the referral from Hiqa, to determine whether an investigation is required.

“A criminal investigation has not commenced at this time,” the spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Aperee Living said it continued to co-operate with Hiqa. “All of our policies are fully up to date and residents’ finances are fully protected,” the spokeswoman said.

The nursing home group was set up by Cork-based investments firm BlackBee Group, with its founder, Cork businessman David O’Shea, the sole director of Aperee’s holding company.

The regulator last month shut down a nursing home run by Aperee in Ballygunner, Co Waterford, due to serious concerns about the care and welfare of residents, with the Health Service Executive (HSE) taking over the facility in the short-term.

Speaking at an Oireachtas committee on health earlier this week, Carol Grogan, Hiqa’s chief inspector, said she had “serious concerns” about the management of residents’ finances by Aperee.

Due to its concerns, Ms Grogan said the healthcare watchdog had taken the “unusual step” of bringing in a forensic accountant to examine the books of several of Aperee’s nursing homes during recent inspections.

“I am very concerned about this provider and taking regulatory action,” she told politicians.

“Unfortunately, I met this provider, as has my deputy chief inspector, on a number of occasions. I took the unusual step of instructing him to put safeguards in place. The plans he gave back he did not follow through on and we have found that in our subsequent inspections,” she said.

The regulator has also criticised failures by Aperee to carry out promised works to address serious fire safety shortcomings in some of its homes, such as Aperee Living Camp Tralee, and Aperee Living Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

Henry Burrows, who was brought in as a new chief executive of Aperee at the start of this year, resigned after just three months, over concerns with the “financial integrity” of the company and its corporate operations.

Mr Burrows, a healthcare industry veteran, previously told The Irish Times that he had escalated reservations he had to senior figures in Aperee, but tendered his resignation at the start of April as he felt his concerns were not addressed.