Local nursing home among nhi care awards
Knightsbridge Care Village picked up two awards at the Nursing Homes Ireland Care Awards, which took place at Citywest Hotel, Dublin, on Thursday 6th November.
The winners were Chris Norris, a resident of Knightsbridge who won the NHI Nursing Home Resident Achievement Award 2014, and Jackie Kay, who won the NHI Nursing Home Innovations in Dementia Care Award.
Chris was announced as winner of the Resident Achievement Award prior to the awards ceremony, which was hosted by RTE presenter Gráinne Seoige and attended by over 400 people. Speaking after the event, Chris said: 'I am delighted with this achievement, and I am grateful to all those that have cared for and helped me. I am looking forward to gaining more and more independence. My dream is to get back to work.'
Chris (42) has defied the odds to recover from a serious brain injury with the help of the staff at Knightsbridge. He fell down stairs two years ago and lay undiscovered for three days.
He immediately underwent life-saving brain surgery at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown and was subsequently placed in an induced coma for 12 days. His family were told to brace themselves for bad news as he emerged from the coma, and complications developed soon after.
Despite the odds stacked against him, his condition has since stabilised and he is now recovering from an acquired brain injury that left him with severe paralysis and speech impairment, and is making strong progress.
Jackie Kay said she felt extremely proud to be part of the awards and was overwhelmed by the experience. 'To win was such an honour. This award is dedicated to the residents, their families and the staff of Knightsbridge. It's a celebration of the great innovations we now see in person-centred dementia care and the importance of focusing on the feelings of each individual person,' she said.
Gillian McDonald, the person in charge at Knightsbridge, said she was proud of the achievements of both Chris and Jackie and the dedication of all the staff at Knightsbridge. 'It's an honour to work with such an outstanding team,' she added.
Now in their fifth year, nominations for the Care Awards were invited and submitted by NHI's 360 members across Ireland. The awards recognise nurses, carers, ancillary workers, activity co-ordinators, catering in nursing homes, innovation in dementia care, community initiative and the contribution of residents to nursing home life.