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.
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 27 November 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: 58.
Other homes nearby
Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.
Ranked 11 of 21 scored homes in Co. Donegal · 5 of 12 within 25 km
Leadership and management83
Quality and safety of care67
What went into the score
17 February 2026 · counts 50%1 not compliant · 12 of 16 compliant · 88
12 August 2025 · counts 30%4 not compliant · 9 of 17 compliant · 71
5 September 2024 · counts 20%7 not compliant · 4 of 14 compliant · 48
Fair Deal price is about the same as 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
Hillcrest House Nursing Home provides 24-hour care for older people, including those with dementia, in a comfortable and safe environment. Residents generally feel happy and well cared for, with staff responding promptly to their needs. The home has a mix of single and twin rooms, some with en-suite facilities, and offers various communal areas and a safe outdoor garden. While the overall care and atmosphere are positive, there are concerns about fire safety and the management of residents with challenging behaviours, which need improvement.
Long-term care
Respite
Palliative care
Dementia care
What inspectors liked
Residents reported feeling happy and well cared for, saying they were happy here and staff are good to them.
Staff respond promptly to call-bells and provide assistance in a timely manner.
The home offers a variety of activities and companionship support for residents who need it.
The premises are generally clean, warm, and comfortable with personalisation of bedrooms.
Medication management and infection control practices are generally good, with staff knowledgeable and trained.
What needed to improve
Fire safety risks were identified, including obstructed fire exits and blocked escape routes that required immediate attention.
Management of residents with challenging behaviours was inadequate, with one resident left unattended during episodes of shouting, causing distress to others.
Inspection history
HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High
17 February 2026
Unannounced inspection · published Sept 2026
12 compliant3 mostly1 not compliant
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Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Some furniture like bed frames and wardrobes were in need of repair, affecting cleanliness and infection control.
Infection control practices were not fully compliant, such as inadequate drying facilities in the sluice room.
No behavioural assessments or care plans were in place for residents with responsive behaviours, leading to poor management of these behaviours.
What residents said
“happy here”
“they are good to me”
“they cannot take it anymore because of constant loud shouting during the day and night”
Staffing
There were sufficient staff on duty with appropriate skill mix, including registered nurses in each building. Additional companionship support was provided for residents who required it. Staff had access to mandatory training and were supervised appropriately.
Activities
Residents enjoy various activities and social interactions. Companionship support is provided for some residents. The atmosphere is generally calm and well managed.
Food
Residents have a good choice of wholesome and nutritious meals, with alternatives available if desired. Evening snacks are offered according to residents' preferences, served in their rooms or dining areas.
Dementia
The centre provides care to people with dementia. However, management of responsive behaviours related to dementia was not adequate, lacking proper assessment and care planning.
Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 17 February 2026. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)
Training and staff development
Compliant
RecordsCompliant
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 30 April 2026Mostly
Contract for the provision of servicesCompliant
Complaints procedureCompliant
Application for registration or renewal of registrationCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
Managing behaviour that is challengingModerate risk · fix by 30 April 2026Not compliant
Personal possessionsCompliant
PremisesCompliant
Food and nutritionCompliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 31 December 2026Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 17 July 2026Mostly