NHI Care Awards 2017 Winners

Nursing Home Director of Nursing/Person in Charge Award Winner

Maura O’Sullivan
St Gobnait’s Nursing Home, Co. Limerick

Maura O Sullivan commenced her nurse training in intellectual disabilities in St.Vincents Centre, Lisnagry, Co.Limerick in 1987. After qualifying she worked as a staff nurse with the Sisters of Bon Sauveur in Dungarvan and St.Josephs Foundation, Charleville.She then progressed to Community C.N.S for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities with St.Josephs Foundation. In December 2010, Maura took over the management of the family business, St.Gobnaits Nursing Home,Ballyagran, from her mother. Maura is passionate about the holistic care of people with dementia and focusing on a persons retained abilities rather than those they have lost. This is Maura’s third time being shortlisted for this award.

Nursing Home Registered Nurse of the Year Award Winner

Nuala Connolly
Clarenbridge Nursing Home, Co. Galway

Nuala began working in Clarenbridge NH in May 2013 as Clinical Nurse Manager 11 initially to care for residents with Acquired Brain and Spinal Injuries and has since been promoted to deputy to the person in charge. Nuala qualified in 2002 from Kings College London in the UK and further specialized in medical, respiratory and Brain and Spinal injury care. Nuala is committed to quality and safety in care and has flourished in her role. Nuala is a well-respected and highly regarded nurse manager. Nuala sets about what she does best which is ‘caring’ and commenced building strong relationships and bonds with residents and their families. Nuala focuses on person centered care and has been instrumental in reducing the number of residents transferred inappropriately to acute hospitals in the past two years by utilizing her clinical judgement in the area of neurological and respiratory care thus enhancing the resident’s quality of life.

Nursing Home Carer of the Year Award Winner

Trevor Fawl
Clarenbridge Nursing Home, Co. Galway

Trevor Fawl commenced working in the Nursing Home in 2015 as a Care Assistant after a long career in the health and leisure industry. Trevor embraced a significant career change from working as a manager of a leisure centre in a large 4 Star Hotel to managing and delivering person centered care to residents in the nursing home. Trevor’s use of language and positive encouragement has given residents the belief they can extend boundaries and live rich and meaningful lives in the nursing home. He gained the respect and trust of the residents and dedicates his time and energy to ensuring all his interactions and interventions are meaningful and therapeutic for the resident wellbeing. He upskilled himself and completed a physiotherapy assistant course which is beneficial in caring for residents with acquired brain and spinal injuries. He champions everything that is positive and good about Health Care Assistants in nursing homes.

Nursing Home Social & Recreational Programme Award Winner

Paula McCarthy & Veronica Callinan
Carrigoran House, Co. Clare

Paula McCarthy
Paula McCarthy is the Activities Coordinator with over 11 years experience. Paula is qualified in various activities suitable for elderly residents such as Sonas, Dementia and PALS go-for-life. She has an in-depth knowledge of every resident, which is adopted by Paula through her person centred approach. Paula has a particular talent for enticing various local performers and musicians to entertain the residents regularly, and has built up a strong rapport with community based groups and schools over the years. Paula’s excursions are a memorable highlight for the residents e.g. The Fleadh, Knock and Spancilhill. Paula has a wonderful team of volunteers who facilitate in the daily activities.

Veronica Callinan
Having completed her B.A Hons degree in Health Promotion, Veronica Callinan has been a welcome addition to the Activities Department. Since joining Carrigoran House in August 2016, Veronica has completed Sonas APC, Dementia and Behaviours that Challenge and workshops. Veronica has rolled out the Snoezelen Therapy to all residents and this initiative was selected by Sonas APC, where she was invited to be a guest speaker at the Annual Dementia Conference in Dublin this year, to highlight the benefits of this therapy mobile unit, which proves to be a great asset to residents. Veronica has a bright future in this organisation.

Nursing Home Catering and Nutrition Award Winner

Maura Moriarty
Ocean View Nursing Home, Co. Kerry

Maura is an experienced Chef and has worked as Catering Manager in Ocean View for the last nine years. She wears her heart on her sleeve, catering is her passion. She knows each resident, their likes, their dislikes, and more importantly there dietary requirements, ensuring the nutritional needs of all residents are catered for. It is said, the kitchen is the heart of a home, Maura has ensured her kitchen is the heart of our residents home. Her enthusiasm inspires those around her to constantly strive for choice and variety in the daily presentation of high quality nutritional meals.

Nursing Home Ancillary Worker Award Winner

Jimmy Sunderland
St Joseph’s Centre, Shankill, Co. Dublin

Jimmy began his career in Saint Joseph’s as a carer in 1977. He was asked to open a day care service for elderly in Shankill in 1989, managing everything from the activities to the maintenance, gardening and transport. He then oversaw the building works for the new nursing home which opened in 1994. In 1998 he became the Maintenance and Safety manager. His building experience was again needed to oversee the remodelling project in 2015, which changed the traditional styled nursing home into six new lodges. He looked at the lodges through the eyes of the residents and created shops, bars, sheds, gardens, and all the décor to make these lodges individual homes for the people cared for in Saint Joseph’s. He has dedicated his 40 year working life to creating the best home from home for the residents of Saint Joseph’s. He is not just the maintenance manager – he is the Daddy of our home!

Nursing Home Community Initiative Award Winner

Sinead Gilligan & Gordon Glynn
Kiltormer Nursing Home, Co. Galway

Sinead Gilligan
Sinead is employed with Kiltormer Nursing Home for the past 2 years and has 7 years’ experience as a Care Assistant. Sinead is the Activities Co Ordinator in the Nursing Home and has just qualified as a Sonas Practitioner which she practices twice a week in the home. Sinead is also qualified as the Manual/Patient Handling Instructor since 2015. Sinead is very passionate about her job and loves to encourage all her Residents to get involved on a daily basis as she sees what a positive affect these activities have on the residents.

Gordon Glynn
Gordon is the manager/owner of the family run Centre for the last 11 years. Gordon previously worked in banking for 10 years and finished up to help out in the family business. Gordon is very involved in the local community and encourages as much involvement as possible. Gordon is very hands on in the centre with the residents and activities. Gordon is currently developing a mini pet-farm in the centre as an attraction to the residents/ families and the locals when they visit.

Nursing Home Innovations in Dementia Care Award Winner

Carmel Hopkins
Castlemanor Nursing Home, Co. Cavan

Carmel Hopkins qualified as a nurse at the Meath Hospital Dublin. After travelling and working in Australia and the UK, she returned to Ireland in 1990 to take up a sister’s post at Beaumont Hospital. Carmel completed her BSc Nursing at Dublin City University in 1998. In 1990 Carmel moved to Cavan and began working in care of the elderly settings. She was appointed Deputy Director of Care at Castlemanor Nursing Home in 2009. Carmel has specialised in dementia care and has undertaken further training in this field through the University of Worcester. She has developed a number of initiatives in consultation with staff and relatives, and has ensured heightened awareness of the needs of dementia residents through a staffing skill-mix review.

Nursing Home End of Life Care Award Winner

Maypark House Nursing Home Team
Maypark House Nursing Home, Co. Waterford

Maypark is one of those rare homes which is quintessential of what the public picture in their mind. It is comfortable, homely and set in lovely grounds with views of the river Suir. The home has an excellent reputation in the local community for ensuring quality of life at the end of life. The core team devoted to end of life care consists of the Operations Manager, the Director of Nursing the Senior Nurse Manager and the lead nursing and care staff. The team becomes part of the residents extended family. They live through one of the most significant parts of the resident’s life… their death. Many staff are trained in palliative care including the DON who has a European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care. The team act as role models for new staff members, dedicated to enhancing their confidence and skills. They strive to provide that little extra care to be a part of the home, not just to work there.

WINNER – Nursing Home Resident Achievement Award 2017

Vincent Corrigan PHD
Mount Hybla Private, Co. Dublin

Vincent Corrigan was born in County Westmeath on the 31/08/1935. Vincent was sent to America in 1952. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology in 1980.

Vincent returned from New York to reside in Mount Hybla Private in February 2016. Since he came to Mount Hybla he has been prolific in his writings. He has just completed his second book In August 2017.

Vincent has been leading a project within the Nursing Home with one of our local secondary schools (Mount Sackville Secondary School). The transition year students with Vincent and the care team undertook an anthropological project about the origins of the Irish.

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