Stories

Celebrating Superheroes from Cork to Carlow

In Advanced Community Care, one of the things that sets us apart is our progressive, forward-thinking approach to complex care – delivering focused, personal home nursing in a safe, familiar family environment. But while one-to-one support defines us, so too does relationship-building with each service user’s family – developing trust and working together with the family to build a strong, resilient support structure. Our much-anticipated and well-loved Summer Parties are one of the more fun ways we put this spirit of family support in action: bringing service users and their parents and siblings together with Resilience team members and their families – for some summer holiday celebrations!

For everyone involved in Advanced Community Care – the ‘everyday’ can be difficult, challenging and emotional.  That’s why we make sure to take the time to kick back a little and celebrate the Summer season in a special and fun way.  We have hosted a Summer party in July for four consecutive years, and this has become a hugely popular tradition in Advanced Community Care. Families get the opportunity to head out of the house for a day and meet up with other service users and their loved ones – while our Advanced Community Care nurses also get to treat their own families to a relaxing day of fun, eats, games and laughter.       

The party is traditionally hosted in Cork, but also invited are service users and their families as well as nurses and their families in neighbouring counties – from Kerry to Waterford.  Like all great parties, we have a theme – and this year, what better way to salute the families and nurses involved in our work than celebrating Marvel Supehero-style! Courageous, bold, brave and caring – each Marvel character reflects everything we see in our daily work.   

Let us Entertain You!

The party took place on Sunday 21^st July at the Radisson Hotel, Little Island Cork – a smart, bright venue guaranteed to provide the best of times.  All the children were invited to dress up in their favourite Marvel Superhero’s costume. As always, Bounce Box Entertainment provided all the good stuff on the day: the kids were able to meet their ultimate Superhero, got in the groove at a super-cool disco, enjoyed face-painting and loads of great games. The day is packed full of fun activities to match the level of ability of each child there – while everyone enjoyed a delicious finger food buffet. There were even exciting goodie bags to take home!  

As Head of Advanced Community Care, Olivia Sinclair says:

“It’s so important for the kids to get out of their homes and meet other kids and their families. It’s also great for service users’ families to see our nurses out of the work environment – relaxing and enjoying their company. Everybody feels part of something bigger which is really wonderful, and at the end of the day we all feel energised and positive. Days like this remind us of what a privilege it is to be doing what we do.”

The Fun Just Got BIGGER

This year this much-loved tradition has grown legs and walked! For the first time, we took the party eastwards – arranging a celebration for our service users and their families in the Carlow area. The same Marvel theme and fun activities were planned for the day, the feel-good factor was high – and the party was a great success!

Here’s to many more fun-filled, balloon-bopping, cake-eating days to come!