Over 80 Nursing Home owners and managers from all over Ireland descended to the clubhouse of
the golf club for a series of talks on topics such as
 “Employee Management”,  “Legal Issues in Nursing Home Management” and “Ensuring Quality Care provision in the H.I.Q.A. era”   

Questions and Answer sessions and an open forum at the end of the day provided Nursing Home owners and managers
an opportunity to learn  and share knowledge with each other about how to increase the quality of care available to
Nursing Home residents.

Guest Speaker on the day was Eamon Timmins, head of Communication and Advocacy at Age Action Ireland,
who outlined the important role that Nursing Home Managers can continue to play in ensuring good quality of life for a
growing population of older people in Ireland.

The event was organised by Allied Healthcare Skillnet, an organisation comprising a network of over 90 Nursing
Homes who were set up to encourage cooperation with one another to promote learning and best practice in the sector. 

 It achieves this through the provision of high quality training and learning experiences e.g. seminars, networking events
and is part funded its members and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd.

Funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. 

The network manager, Diarmuid O Dalaigh outlined how the high attendance shows the hunger that Nursing Home
owners have to embrace the HIQA standards and deliver high quality care to residents: 

“We had a great turnout of Nursing Home owners and managers who were keen to learn from both the speakers and from one another.  The main theme from the day was the Nursing Home owners welcome the HIQA standards with open  arms and are keen to learn and put in place the proper procedures to ensure that not only that they comply with new standards but that they surpass them by delivering high quality person-centred care” 

Membership of the network is open to all private healthcare organisations and is free of charge. 
Membership forms can be obtained by phone on 021 4630915 or by email at admin@healthcarenet.ie or visit the “Membership” section of our website.

From Left to Right - Diarmuid O' Dalaigh (Network Manager, Allied Healthcare Skillnet), Louise McCormack (Steering Group Member,Allied Healthcare Skillnet), David O Hanlon (Project Coordinator Allied Healthcare Skillnet), Aileen Bleach (Steering Group Member,Allied Healthcare Skillnet).   

From Left to Right - Mary O' Connor (Chairperson, Allied Healthcare Skillnet), Eamon Timmins (Guest Speaker - Head of Advocacy and Communications, Age Action Ireland), Sean Fennessy (Secretary, Allied Healthcare Skillnet).

From Left to Right – Janet Woodward (Douglas Nursing Home), Mary Daly (Trainer, Mary Daly and Associates), David O Hanlon (Project Coordinator Allied Healthcare Skillnet).

From Left to Right - Mary O' Connor (Chairperson, Allied Healthcare Skillnet), Aileen Bleach (Steering Group Member,Allied Healthcare Skillnet), Eamon Timmins (Guest Speaker - Head of Advocacy and Communications, Age Action Ireland).