'Sam' the star at leading Mayo nursing home's special party

A memorable occasion for residents and their families

CUAN CHAITRIONA Nursing Home, Castlebar, was a hive of activity for their summer party event.

Residents, their family members and staff enjoyed a wonderful occasion, with plenty of activities taking place throughout the day which included a musician, magician, and a vast array of refreshments.

The party was the idea of newly installed director of nursing, Josipa Akinradewo, and she was eager to have the residents’ families come along for a joyous and memorable occasion.

Josipa said: “I took over the position of director of nursing last March and I thought it would be nice to have an annual party for the residents, families and staff and it is a great occasion for everybody.

"I was hoping that the weather would have been better and that we could have had some of the events in the garden, so next year we may have the summer party a little bit earlier in the year.

“It is the first big event for me here and I just wanted to show the families the kind of relationship that I want to create with them and their loved ones here, and that families visiting can feel part of the community here as well.”

Josipa has had a long career in nursing, as she explained. “I am a nurse and originally from Croatia and I have been in Ireland for the last 11 years.

"Over those 11 years I have been working in different nursing homes in Dublin, and Clare, before moving to Mayo in 2022. And I worked in a few local nursing homes in Mayo before finally taking up the position of director of nursing here in Cuan Chaitriona.

"I really like it here in Cuan Chaitriona and there is a lovely layout to this facility. We also have great support from the Sisters of Mercy who live in Ard Bhríde across from us. The team here at Cuan Chaitriona are really wonderful.”

Josipa has plenty of ideas for the nursing home. “I am really trying to create a nice vibe here and I want everyone to enjoy living here.

"I have made some improvements since I started in my new role and I have more ideas and plans to make this nursing home even better, and I think we are on the right way to achieving that.

"I think it is very important for residents to still have that connection with the community and that is also something that I will be working on. I will hope to bring in a local artist to do some art classes with the residents and to have musicians visit here as well.”

There are also plans to increase bed capacity in the county town nursing home.

“We have a capacity for 57 beds, and we are currently full. We have a long waiting list as well. There is currently a plan to add an additional 15 beds and that may come to fruition next year. I do feel though that those extra beds will be filled up quickly.

“We have great services provided here from our GP and other multi-disciplinary team members. We want to make residents feel at home and that all our services are available whenever they need them. It is also important that families can visit anytime during the day or in the evening.”

Josipa said that she has received positive feedback from families.

“I have received positive feedback from families, and they are happy with any changes that we have made. I hope that I will continue to meet the families’ expectations.”

Josipa said that having a strong support base and team is crucial.

“Cuan Chaitriona has always had a great HIQA report and has a good reputation, and my goal is to maintain those high standards.

“I must say that I also have great support from the management, and everyone has really made me feel so welcome here. We have around 74 staff members here and whilst there was a turnaround in staff this year, we have a lot of new staff members employed here and they are highly skilled. It looks like those new staff members will be here for a good while and that is great to see.

“The healthcare sector is experiencing a lot of challenges. It is great therefore that we have such a wonderful staff here and a good team to provide care for the residents at Cuan Chaitriona.

"We feel incredibly privileged to care for our residents. For many of them, this is now their home, and we want them to feel safe, respected, valued and cared for.

"That is why occasions such as our summer party are so important to us. They are not simply social events. They are opportunities to bring residents, their families, friends, staff and members of the community together.

"The home becomes filled with familiar faces, conversations, laughter and memories being made together. For our residents, seeing their loved ones enjoying these moments alongside them can mean so much.

"We want our doors to feel open to families and to the community. We want our residents to continue to have visitors, celebrate occasions, enjoy music and entertainment, meet people and take part in life. Moving into residential care should never mean giving up those connections.

“I extend thanks to Artur Magic show and Duncan Pratt for entertainment, Wonder Whippy ice cream and 4 Star Pizza (Casey’s Londis) for delicious food and treats. We want to thank Mayo GAA team for visiting us and bringing Sam Maguire. It was a day to remember!

"Special thanks go to the incredible team working alongside me and to our CEO, Phil Darcy, for support."