Visitors to Nursing Homes reminded re importance of mask-wearing

4^th January 2023: Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) is taking opportunity to remind and urge people visiting nursing homes to adhere to public health measures that are in place. Tadhg Daly, NHI CEO said: “Against the backdrop of respiratory viruses and illnesses causing widescale pressures upon health services, we are urging people to wear masks when using communal spaces within our nursing homes. Every person entering a nursing home should be proactive in taking simple measures to minimise the spread of viruses and the risk presented to residents and staff. Mask wearing is a simple and effective step to deter the spread of viruses. We also take this opportunity to advise it is prudent for people coming in and out of nursing homes and healthcare settings to use masks when in public congregated settings. This can mitigate the spread of viruses within the community and deter their admission into healthcare settings. We also ask people to be cognisant of the importance of hand hygiene. Good practice in this regard helps reduce the spread of infection, effective against Coronavirus, flu and other respiratory illnesses.”

Mr Daly believes public health should recommend mandatory use of facemasks within healthcare settings. He said: “It is already in widespread practice and I believe a call by public health for mask-wearing to become mandatory within such settings will send an unequivocal message to people moving around our health services during a period of extreme pressure. It represents an appropriate and prudent measure that can quell the spread of viruses.”

He further added: “We’d again remind anyone presenting with flu-like or Covid19 symptoms to refrain from visiting the nursing home. When respiratory illnesses are so prevalent within our communities and our acute hospital system is under so much pressure, individual and collective responsibility takes on added importance to ensure we are doing our utmost to protect residents, many of whom are frail and susceptible to more negative outcomes from the viruses now prevalent within society.”

Tadhg Daly is available for further interview. Interviews will be facilitated by Michael McGlynn, NHI Communications and Research Executive, who can be contacted at 087 9082970.