Complaints
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We pride ourselves on our high standards across the Evergreen Care group of nursing homes. And we work very hard to provide the highest level of quality in our care and accommodation services. However, we are all human and sometimes, for reasons outside of our control, we do not get it right. And when we get it wrong, we want to know about it. Otherwise, we cannot take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again and make sure we learn from it.
So we have a comprehensive but straightforward process to enable residents, family members, staff, support workers, advocates or any other relevant person to raise concerns about how we do what we do. We want your complaint to be heard in an open and transparent way and if it is upheld, for the situation to be rectified as best we can and in a similar fashion.
Speak to a member of the nursing home staff. You can talk to whomever you feel comfortable with, but if you could, speaking to the Person in Charge (PIC) (or in their absence, their deputy) will ensure you speak directly to the person who is responsible for the management of complaints. If you decide to speak to someone else, they will take your concern and then pass on the details to the PIC. You can use the contact details at the bottom of the nursing home’s webpage, or click on the ‘Who to contact with a Complaint’ button below.
If you feel you would like to write your complaint, please feel free to do so. Letters and emails should be posted to the address at the bottom of the nursing home’s webpage or the email address provided when you click the ‘Who to contact with a Complaint’ button. Detail exactly what has concerned you and try to include dates, times, names etc. On receipt of the information, the PIC will contact you to discuss in person.
It is important that you are detailed in your report. We need to know the truth and promise we won’t take offence.
The Person in Charge (or deputy) will contact you by phone, letter or email to let you know they will be investigating your complaint and to ensure they have all the details correct. During the process the PIC will maintain contact with you either in person, by phone or in writing.
All complaints are entered into the Complaints section of our electronic documentation system. If your complaint includes details of a confidential nature, these can be referred to but actual details will be kept separate, accessible only to the Complaints Officer, for confidentiality reasons.
We aim to resolve complaints within 2 weeks of receiving the complaint. However, each complaint is different and more complex cases can take longer. The PIC will give you an estimated timeline when they talk to you first.
Our policy requires that the complaint is investigated and you are informed of the outcome in writing no longer than 30 days following the receipt of the complaint.
If the investigation is taking more time than originally thought, you will be informed, along with the reason for the delay.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, we have our own appeals process. All appeals go directly to the Appeal/Review Officer and must be provided in writing no more than 10 days following the date of the outcome of the investigation. The appeal will be conducted and concluded and responded to no more than 20 days after receiving the request. Contact details of the Appeals/Review Officer can be found on the ‘Who to contact with a Complaint’ button.
In all cases, if the complainant is unhappy with the outcome of the complaint, he or she may contact the Ombudsman at the following address:
The Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.
If possible, we believe it is best to deal with things as soon as possible and in the easiest and most direct way. If you have a minor complaint, raise it with the person you are dealing with. He or she will try to resolve it for you there and then. If they can attend to it to your satisfaction, they will do that and inform the Nurse on duty. However, we are obliged under legislation to manage all complaints or concerns in the same manner.
