A private nursing home in Co Wicklow has been taken over by HSE staff after inspectors found the health and welfare of elderly residents was at risk.

The HSE staff moved into the Glenbervie nursing home in Bray on Tuesday morning after a court order was obtained to take charge of the facility where 27 residents live.

The residents, several of whom have been there for a number of years, now face the trauma of being transferred to another home in the coming weeks.

The move was taken by the the patient safety watchdog Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). Its inspectors became concerned for the safety of residents.

The watchdog yesterday refused to reveal what recent risks the residents faced, saying the matter was due to come before the courts again in the coming weeks.

Ann Gillooly, who owns the nursing home with her husband, Noel, yesterday refused to comment when contacted by the Irish Independent.

An inspection report by the HSE last May found several breaches of care standards and warned of the need to have a plan in place to care for residents with bed sores.

Additional training needed to be provided to nurses and healthcare assistants on the importance of proper nutrition and hydration of older residents.

A 'call bell' for a bed-bound resident was "completely inaccessible" and a radiator was so hot it presented a risk of injury.

There was only one cleaner for the entire nursing home and drug administration records were inadequate, presenting a significant clinical risk-management concern.

The last fire drill was carried out in August 2008. HSE local health manager David Walsh said: "We will make every effort to ensure the least impact on the residents of the home".

A senior manager, including a nursing specialist, occupational therapists and physiotherapists assessed the residents, he added.

A sister of one of the residents yesterday said the residents were upset by the upheaval. Margaret, in her 60s, from Crumlin in Dublin, who did not wish to give her full name, said she had a brother in the home, also in his 60s, who suffers from dementia

"My brother is there two years but there are other people there longer," she said.

"He suffers from dementia so he needs 24-hour care and he's incontinent as well. These are all things that you need care for -- the family can't manage him alone."

She said staff at the nursing home was generally "very nice" and she could not find fault with anything.