Health staff across Ireland offered to support nursing home in Galway after COVID-19 outbreak

Following the COVID-19 outbreak in a nursing home in Galway, many good minds came to the scene with promises of help.

Most of the staff and 26 of the 28 residents at Nightingale Nursing Home, Ahascragh had confirmed coronavirus infection. Following this, Patricia MacGabhann, director of nursing at the Nightingale Nursing Home, made a request for assistance on Joe Duffy’s Liveline programme on RTÉ Radio 1.

However, she said that nurses, carers and GPs across Ireland had been contacted in response to her request. Ms. MacGabhann said her trust in people has increased since she was contacted by many across the country to offer help. “I guess my faith in people has been restored hugely,” she said.

A resident of the nursing home with COVID-19 was admitted to Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. Subsequent testing found that 25 of the 27 patients and all but four staff were positive, were positive. One resident died from the virus and two have been hospitalized – said Ms. MacGabhann.

Ms. MacGabhann had said a nurse, who had previously worked at the Nightingale Nursing Home, had tried to offer help.

She said a lorry arrived at the home with dietary supplements for the residents. “People have shown themselves to be so kind and we are so, so grateful,” she added.

Meanwhile, HSE officials have said that further staff will be hired to support home care in the coming days.