Public (HSE)

Falcarragh Community Hospital

Ballyconnell, Falcarragh, F92 AY61

Call 074 989 8500

Fair Deal weekly price

€2,292

HSE cost of care, from 1 September 2026

Registered beds

HIQA maximum occupancy

Registered until

18 March 2026

Current registration since 19 March 2023

Inspection score

78/ 100

Mostly compliant

Improving

Ranked 8 of 21 scored homes in Co. Donegal · 1 of 2 within 25 km

Leadership and management75

Quality and safety of care81

What went into the score

17 February 2026 · counts 50%2 not compliant · 9 of 15 compliant · 79
21 January 2025 · counts 30%14 of 17 compliant · 94
31 July 2024 · counts 20%1 not compliant · 0 of 4 compliant · 51

Fair Deal price is 80% above the Co. Donegal median of €1,275 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

Falcarragh Community Hospital is a well-managed nursing home in a Gaeltacht area, recently refurbished to improve residents' bedrooms and communal areas. Residents feel safe, cared for, and enjoy a range of social activities tailored to their interests. Staff are kind, attentive, and trained, and residents have access to healthcare and nutritious meals. However, some care plans lack detail, infection control and fire safety need improvement, and weekend social activity records are incomplete.

Long-term care

What inspectors liked

Residents expressed satisfaction with the kindness and attentiveness of staff.
The refurbishment has made the environment bright, spacious, and comfortable, with residents appreciating the new colour schemes.
Residents have access to varied social activities, including gardening and religious services, with efforts to include those who stay in their rooms.
Staff have up-to-date training in safeguarding, fire safety, and moving and handling.
Residents' nutritional needs are well met with choice and appropriate support at mealtimes.

What needed to improve

Some residents' care plans were incomplete or lacked clear guidance, especially for infection control and wound care.
Infection control risks were identified due to inappropriate storage of clean and used equipment together.
Fire safety was compromised by storage of oxygen cylinders with combustible supplies and unsecured fire extinguisher frames in corridors.
The person in charge was deputising for the service manager, leaving a gap in local management as per the statement of purpose.
Records for some staff files were incomplete, missing vetting disclosures and employment history.

What residents said

“it was like living in a different nursing home”
“loved the new colour schemes”
“there was always something interesting to do”

Staffing: There were sufficient staff with appropriate skills on duty to meet residents' needs. Staff had access to mandatory and professional development training and were supervised appropriately.
Activities: An activity coordinator provides varied social activities in communal areas and ensures residents in their rooms can participate. Gardening and religious activities are available. Weekend activity documentation needs improvement.
Food: Residents receive meals prepared off-site during kitchen refurbishment, with choices and alternatives available. Assistance is provided discreetly, and special dietary needs are met.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 17 February 2026. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

17 February 2026
Unannounced inspection · published Jul 2026
9 compliant4 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
RecordsModerate risk · fix by 10 April 2026Not compliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 30 April 2026Not compliant
Contract for the provision of servicesCompliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 10 April 2026Mostly
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 10 April 2026Mostly
PremisesCompliant
Food and nutritionCompliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 30 April 2026Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 30 April 2026Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
21 January 2025
Unannounced inspection · published May 2025
14 compliant3 mostly
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 7 March 2025Mostly
Directory of residentsLow risk · fix by 21 February 2025Mostly
RecordsCompliant
InsuranceCompliant
Governance and managementCompliant
Contract for the provision of servicesLow risk · fix by 21 February 2025Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Personal possessionsCompliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesCompliant
Food and nutritionCompliant
Information for residentsCompliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
31 July 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Jan 2025
3 mostly1 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 31 July 2024Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 7 October 2024Mostly
Personal possessionsLow risk · fix by 7 October 2024Mostly
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 5 September 2024Not compliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
5 June 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2024
9 compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Governance and managementCompliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

This is the most the home can charge a week for residents on the Fair Deal scheme. Under Fair Deal you pay up to 80% of your income and 7.5% of the value of your assets a year, and the State pays the rest. Homes may charge extra for things like activities, hairdressing or newspapers, so ask about these when you call.

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€2,292

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Condition 1: Subject to any prohibitions or restrictions contained in any other condition(s), the designated centre shall be operated at all times in accordance with the Statement of Purpose within the footprint of the designated centre on the floor plan received on 28 February 2025. The registered provider shall only provide for the specific care and support needs, and services, within the facilities as set out the Statement of Purpose, as agreed with the Chief Inspector at the time of registration. Any changes to the specific care and support needs and services provided must be agreed in advance with the Chief Inspector. Condition 2: Only persons aged 18 years or older shall be accommodated at the designated centre at any time. Condition 3: The maximum number of persons that may be accommodated at the designated centre is: 27. Condition 4: The physical environment in the designated centre must be renovated and refurbished to include a kitchen and appropriate access to the designated centre to achieve compliance with regulations 9 and 17 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013.

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Lake House Nursing Home
Private
Portnablagh, Co. Donegal· 12 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,275 / week
Inspection score
56
Beds
47 beds
Phone
074 913 6197
Aras Gaoth Dobhair
Private
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 13 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,245 / week
Inspection score
55
Beds
37 beds
Phone
074 956 0624
Dungloe Community Hospital
Public (HSE)
Dungloe, Co. Donegal· 26 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,985 / week
Inspection score
33
Beds
34 beds
Phone
074 952 1044
Áras Ui Dhomhnaill Nursing Home
Private
Millford, Co. Donegal· 28 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,279 / week
Inspection score
77
Beds
48 beds
Phone
074 916 3288
Hillcrest House Nursing Home
Private
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 30 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,274 / week
Inspection score
75
Beds
58 beds
Phone
074 912 2342
Larissa Lodge Nursing Home
Private
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 30 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,234 / week
Inspection score
78
Beds
64 beds
Phone
074 916 8526

Inspection score

78/ 100

Mostly compliant

Improving

Ranked 8 of 21 scored homes in Co. Donegal · 1 of 2 within 25 km

Leadership and management75

Quality and safety of care81

What went into the score

17 February 2026 · counts 50%2 not compliant · 9 of 15 compliant · 79
21 January 2025 · counts 30%14 of 17 compliant · 94
31 July 2024 · counts 20%1 not compliant · 0 of 4 compliant · 51

Fair Deal price is 80% above the Co. Donegal median of €1,275 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

Long-term care

What inspectors liked

Residents expressed satisfaction with the kindness and attentiveness of staff.
The refurbishment has made the environment bright, spacious, and comfortable, with residents appreciating the new colour schemes.
Residents have access to varied social activities, including gardening and religious services, with efforts to include those who stay in their rooms.
Staff have up-to-date training in safeguarding, fire safety, and moving and handling.
Residents' nutritional needs are well met with choice and appropriate support at mealtimes.

What needed to improve

Some residents' care plans were incomplete or lacked clear guidance, especially for infection control and wound care.
Infection control risks were identified due to inappropriate storage of clean and used equipment together.
Fire safety was compromised by storage of oxygen cylinders with combustible supplies and unsecured fire extinguisher frames in corridors.
The person in charge was deputising for the service manager, leaving a gap in local management as per the statement of purpose.
Records for some staff files were incomplete, missing vetting disclosures and employment history.

What residents said

“it was like living in a different nursing home”
“loved the new colour schemes”
“there was always something interesting to do”

Staffing: There were sufficient staff with appropriate skills on duty to meet residents' needs. Staff had access to mandatory and professional development training and were supervised appropriately.
Activities: An activity coordinator provides varied social activities in communal areas and ensures residents in their rooms can participate. Gardening and religious activities are available. Weekend activity documentation needs improvement.
Food: Residents receive meals prepared off-site during kitchen refurbishment, with choices and alternatives available. Assistance is provided discreetly, and special dietary needs are met.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 17 February 2026. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

17 February 2026
Unannounced inspection · published Jul 2026
9 compliant4 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
RecordsModerate risk · fix by 10 April 2026Not compliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 30 April 2026Not compliant
Contract for the provision of servicesCompliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 10 April 2026Mostly
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 10 April 2026Mostly
PremisesCompliant
Food and nutritionCompliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 30 April 2026Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 30 April 2026Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
21 January 2025
Unannounced inspection · published May 2025
14 compliant3 mostly
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 7 March 2025Mostly
Directory of residentsLow risk · fix by 21 February 2025Mostly
RecordsCompliant
InsuranceCompliant
Governance and managementCompliant
Contract for the provision of servicesLow risk · fix by 21 February 2025Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Personal possessionsCompliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesCompliant
Food and nutritionCompliant
Information for residentsCompliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
31 July 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Jan 2025
3 mostly1 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 31 July 2024Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 7 October 2024Mostly
Personal possessionsLow risk · fix by 7 October 2024Mostly
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 5 September 2024Not compliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
5 June 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2024
9 compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Governance and managementCompliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
ProtectionCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€2,292

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Lake House Nursing Home

Private

Portnablagh, Co. Donegal· 12 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,275 / week
Inspection score: 56
Beds: 47 beds
Phone: 074 913 6197

Aras Gaoth Dobhair

Private

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 13 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,245 / week
Inspection score: 55
Beds: 37 beds
Phone: 074 956 0624

Dungloe Community Hospital

Public (HSE)

Dungloe, Co. Donegal· 26 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,985 / week
Inspection score: 33
Beds: 34 beds
Phone: 074 952 1044

Áras Ui Dhomhnaill Nursing Home

Private

Millford, Co. Donegal· 28 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,279 / week
Inspection score: 77
Beds: 48 beds
Phone: 074 916 3288

Hillcrest House Nursing Home

Private

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 30 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,274 / week
Inspection score: 75
Beds: 58 beds
Phone: 074 912 2342

Larissa Lodge Nursing Home

Private

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal· 30 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,234 / week
Inspection score: 78
Beds: 64 beds
Phone: 074 916 8526