Who Can Help Me Make a Complaint to a Nursing Home?

The complaints officer is a member of staff employed by the Nursing Home who investigates complaints made about the care you have experienced in that service.

It is the role of the complaints officer to independently and fairly investigate complaints relating to the care you have experienced in that service. The complaints officer will keep you up-to-date on the status of your complaint.

The complaints officer will also assist you in ensuring that you have included all the relevant information in your complaint and will explain to you the complaints process.

The complaints officer can also refer you to independent advocacy for assistance through the complaints process, such as support from the Patient Advocacy Service.

Note: The Nursing Home will be able to provide you with a copy of their complaint procedure and the contact details of their complaints officer.

We can provide you with advice and information in relation to the complaints process in your Nursing Home. We can offer you information and one to one support to make a formal complaint to your Nursing Home and at every stage after that, including making complaints to external organisations like the Ombudsman.

• We can help you to understand the complaints process of the Nursing Home.
• We can explain what to include in your complaint and how to write a complaint.
• We can explain your options if there is a delay to your complaint, or if you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint.
• We can explain how to escalate your complaint and where to escalate your complaint to.

Check out our frequently asked questions and step-by-step guide for Nursing Homes.  

Currently, the Patient Advocacy Service can provide assistance to people making complaints about Nursing Homes and Public Acute Hospitals. Therefore, if you have a complaint about an experience you have had in a primary care centre, in a community setting, in a residential service, at the GP or somewhere else outside of a Public Acute Hospital or Nursing Home setting, then the Patient Advocacy Service is not currently available to provide advocacy support. More information about your complaints options for these settings can be found on the Ombudsman’s website. 

You can apply for information and support from one of our Advocates from the Patient Advocacy Service by phoning our national line 0818 293003, or by emailing info@patientadvocacyservice.ie

The Patient Advocacy Service provides assistance to service users of HSE-operated Nursing Homes and Private Nursing Homes in Ireland.

The list of HSE-operated Nursing Homes and Private Nursing Homes is available on the website of the HIQA, the Health Information and Quality Authority. Click HERE.

Any person receiving a health or personal social service from a Nursing Home can make a complaint.

Where a person cannot make a complaint independently due to age, illness or disability, the complaint can be made on their behalf by a close relative or carer of the person, any person who by law has the affairs of the person, any legal representative of the person, any other person with the consent of the person, any person who was a close relative or carer of a deceased person who at that time would have been entitled to complain, any other person who is appointed as prescribed in the regulations.

You can appoint anyone to advocate on your behalf, including family or friends, you may wish to appoint a professional advocate.  You may also appoint a legal representative to advocate for you.

You can ask anyone to help you make a complaint, including family or friends. You may wish to make the complaint by yourself or you may choose to appoint someone to help you manage your complaint. If your complaint has moved to stage 2 of the complaints process, you may be eligible for support from the Patient Advocacy Service.

If you have a disability and require support to make a complaint you may be eligible for support from the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. Please follow link to see other possible support services that may be able to offer support.

On this page you will find a list of other organisations who can help you with a complaints process.

The complaints officer in your Nursing Home can provide you with further details on options available to you if you are not happy about the outcome of your complaint.  If you are not satisfied with the response you received after raising the issue, and you wish to make a formal complaint, you may be eligible for support from the Patient Advocacy Service. The Patient Advocacy Service is wholly funded by the Department of Health and therefore is fully independent of the HSE and other service providers.

Staff of the Patient Advocacy Service are professional, trained in complaints advocacy and bound by a code of practice.