86
9. Persons deprived of their liberty at the places of detention visited by the NPM
visiting delegation were savoury and their consistency was appropriate, several residents (including an emaciated person just recovering from a serious
illness) complained about the insufficient quantity and bad taste of the food.
The Institution did not prepare nutrient portion sheets, so it could not be established in what quantities the food portions contained the given nutrients.
The nutritional values presented on the menus did not attain the standard
daily calorie needs prescribed by law, that is, 2000–2500 kcal per day until the
age of 69 and 2000–2400 kcal per day from the age of 70.176 I asked the head of
the Institution to make sure that a nutrient portion sheet is prepared in every
case, to take into consideration, as much as possible, the residents’ various
tastes when composing the menu, as well as to ensure that emaciated or sick
residents consume sufficient quantities of food. I pointed out that the age-appropriate calorie intake prescribed by law must be ensured for the residents.
Many residents consumed alcoholic beverages on a regular basis. In the
withdrawal period (i.e. when they run out of money), those residents who
were addicted to alcohol were affected by anxiety disorder – in such times
they received medical help from the psychiatrist, who prescribed medication
for them. I drew attention to the fact that due to the State’s objective obligation
to protect institutions, it is the task of the personnel to prevent and stop tension as well as verbal and at times physical aggression between the residents.
At the Institution, residents were never strapped to their bed as a means
of physical restraint; however, one of the nurses admitted that there had
been cases when residents were strapped into their wheelchair. I pointed out that strapping someone into his/her wheelchairs is also a means of
physical restraint, and the Institution must respect the relevant regulations
concerning the documentation of such restrictive measures in those cases
as well. The regulation concerning the use of measures of restraint is contained in Annex 3 of the House Rules of the Institution. The regulation did
not use the terms employed by the legal provisions in force; what is more,
it entitled the director of the Institution to order the use of restrictive measures. I asked the head of the Institution to revise the regulation in order to
harmonize it with the legislation in force.
According to the House Rules, the residents wore primarily their own
clothes that had to be marked by a personal identifier. If a resident did not
have enough own clothes and underwear of proper quality, the Institution
supplied him/her with 3 sets of underwear and sleepwear, as well as 2 sets of
outerwear and shoes appropriate for the season. At the time of the visit, there
were also “common” pieces of clothing in use. In relation to clothes in common use, I pointed out that wearing their own clothes would not only ensure
176
Annex 3 of Minister of Human Capacities Decree 37/2014. (IV. 30.) EMMI on Nutritional
Health Provisions related to Mass Catering.
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