Hi everybody,
My name is Caroline O Flynn and I am the household supervisor and I have been working here in the Powdermills for the past 14 years, the time has come for me to leave and start a new chapter in my life. Although I am getting a little bit emotional about leaving this job but at the same time excited of what is to come, change is always good. Throughout all of the years I have worked here I have made so many friends and I will take a lot of happy memories with me.
I have grown to become so fond off all the residents and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart I will miss them dearly. I have really enjoyed my many years here and I would especially like to say a big thank you to all of my household team who are all just amazing at their job. They work extremely hard every day to ensure our residents have a nice clean home. I really appreciate all of their hard work and I must say they were a lovely bunch to manage, always extremely helpful so thank you girls.
I would also like to thank all of the management team and staff for all their continued support throughout the years. But a special thank you to Jennifer Kennedy our Operations Manager who has always been nothing but helpful and supportive to me within my role. We have built up a great friendship and I don’t just see her as a line manager but as a friend also. My last day here will be a very emotional one.
Caroline O Flynn – Household Supervisor
You Never Get a Second Chance to make a First Impression!
In January of this year our family had to evacuate our home in Ballincollig because we experienced an outbreak of Carbon Monoxide in our house. This was a very stressful incident, as it resulted in the family being moved from one location to the next on a daily basis.
The biggest impact was on my elderly mother Teresa; who has multiple health issues & is heading for 90 years of age.
Among the many other emergency family issues that I was faced with, my mother’s health and safety became a priority. Discussions with our family doctor commenced and respite care was promptly considered.
To make a long story short, this episode led me to contact the Powdermills Nursing Home in Ballincollig. In contrast to the other facilities that I contacted via phone calls; I found the people at the Powdermills to be more switched on to the needs of my elderly mother.
At the beginning, I was a little anxious. However; when I arrived at the Powdermills, I discovered a staff that were very friendly & caring; hence the old proverb ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’.
To my surprise, my mother settled in very quickly and a long-term option was favourably contemplated. The rationale behind my mother’s decision was very simple; she found a uniquely human experience, a family atmosphere and homelike environment at the Powdermills Nursing Home.
The benefits of a smaller nursing home became glaringly obvious, as I discovered that patients receive a better one-to-one caring relationship with staff. Everyone at the Powdermills Nursing Home seem to know each other by first name. Personally, I have got to know all the staff and most of the residents. I have even got to know one of the owners Joe, who constantly rolls up his sleeves and can be found painting, cutting the grass, cutting the hedges, fixing windows/doors & very often simply sitting down having a cup of tea, chatting with the residents.
I forgot to mention that my mother has two sisters in other larger HSE run nursing homes; however, the atmosphere is nothing like the homely character of the Powdermills. My mother’s sisters don’t even have the opportunity to walk outside to sample a garden or the little bit of simplicity of outdoor life that residents experience at the Powdermills in Ballincollig.
Taking all of this into consideration and the fact that smaller private nursing homes receive far less funding to that of the larger HSE facilities. In addition, the staff of smaller private Nursing Homes are still waiting for their fair share of the €1,000 Covid bonus that has already been paid to HSE workers.
Isn’t this a crying shame?
Yet, we the relatives and our loved ones ( the residents ) receive a more superior quality of care from our health care provider, the Powdermills Nursing Home in Ballincollig.
yours sincerely,
Ger Tobin Relative