Rehab “People of the Year Award” for Galway Hospice

The staff, volunteers and Board of Galway Hospice were honoured last night with a Rehab “People of the Year Award” at a gala awards ceremony in the Clayton Hotel, Galway.  The annual Rehab Awards honour “people who have done their community and their County proud at home and abroad.  People who bring joy and light to the lives of others.  People who have shown true courage and strength in the face of adversity”.   A total of twelve awards were presented to a wide variety of individuals and organisations, representing many facets of business and voluntary endeavour across County Galway.

The citation from the Rehab “People of the Year” Awards Programme reads as follows:

“The exceptional staff, volunteers and board members of Galway Hospice have, since1990, been providing a superb and highly acclaimed service in the wider Galway area.

In 2010, the Galway Hospice overcame immense obstacles to become the first and only hospice or palliative care service in Ireland to achieve dual world class standards of CHKS accreditation (International Society for Quality in Healthcare) and ISO 9001:2008 certification, covering all three services – inpatient, home care and day care, a recognition for which they should be and are immensely proud.

This fantastic achievement was acknowledged in October 2010 when President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, welcomed a representative group from Galway Hospice to Aras an Uachtarain.  In the same month, An Taoiseach Brian Cowen visited Galway Hospice to meet with patients, staff, volunteers and board members in recognition of this unique achievement.

The people of Galway have always been wonderful supporters of Galway Hospice and have contributed more than €20 million directly towards the Hospice’s work since its foundation.  That the people of Galway have been willing to contribute so much valuable funding towards the work of Galway Hospice is testament to just how highly regarded those involved in Galway Hospice are.

At advanced stages of illness, many people want to spend their final days and weeks at home.  Galway Hospice have made this possible in so many cases through their exceptional home care team.  For more people they provide a level of care at their care unit in Renmore which is kind, compassionate and thorough.

What began as a concept in 1986, was founded in 1990 and has been an absolutely crucial and tremendous service to the community since then makes Galway Hospice an organisation of untold importance in the Galway area.  For their excellent work, the staff, volunteers and board of Galway Hospice are worthy winners of a Rehab People of the Year Award”.

Michael Devaney (Volunteer), Lesley Carroll (Clinical Nurse Manager, Day Care), and Dr Richard Joyce (Chairman, Board of Directors) accepted the Award on behalf of the entire hospice team.  In accepting the Award, Dr Richard Joyce paid special tribute to the people of Galway for their tremedous support of the hospice since its foundation.  The photograph at the top features all of the Award winners.  The photograph below features a group of Hospice staff, volunteers and Board Members at the Awards Ceremony.