Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

Bathroom facilities varied considerably between and within each facility type (Table6.16). In general, the private nursing home sector provides better bathroomfacilities than the public sector. After correction for numbers of residents, thesedifferences are significant for numbers of en suite rooms and for WCs with fixedgrab rails. Differences are not so evident in respect of WCs separate frombathrooms or showers, or for special baths. Call bells are provided in the majority ofrooms, bathrooms and WCs, but not generally in corridors (Table 6.17). However, inpublic geriatric hospitals, 25 per cent of residents’ rooms and 25 per cent of WCsdo not have call bells.Table 6.16: Ratio of WCs/special baths to (all) residents by facility type136NEnsuiteroomsFixedgrabrailsinWCsResidentsResidentsSeparateWCSpecialbathsResidentsResidentsAll facilities 300 1 3.9 1 3.8 1 9.4 1 34.8PrivatenursinghomesPublichomes/hospitalsVoluntaryhomes/hospitalsDistrict/communityhospitalsWelfarehomes190 1 2.2 1 2.6 1 8.9 1 32.336 1 43.9 1 9.1 1 10.3 1 50.633 1 4.8 1 4.9 1 8.5 1 25.428 1 26.3 1 7.7 1 16.4 1 39.413 1 25.2 1 8.5 1 5.8 1 37.9Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care Settings in Ireland