NAS develops workshop for those caring for family and friends

The NAS Training Centre has developed a workshop for those caring for family or friends.  The workshops, entitled ‘People Moving Workshop for Family Carers’, will be available in March.  They will provide vital and practical information about how to move people with less effort and how to look after your back.

Back injuries are prevalent in many health service workers, carers and those with the responsibility of moving patients and this prompted the NAS Training Centre to create a workshop that looks at ways of avoiding back injury and making it easier for family carers.  The NAS Training Centre provides training in this area to Nurses and Carers and the content of these workshops is based on the same techniques.

According to Census 2011 there are there are 4,823 family carers in Waterford providing valuable care and support.  It’s very important that these carers have access to the learning skills that will assist them to carry out this role.

Ray Power, Manager of NAS Training Centre said the course is relevant to family carers who have to assist family members stand, walk or move them when they are in bed.  “In many cases carers have to move family members on a regular basis.  This is, more often than not, done without any training.  Appropriate training, advice and practical demonstrations will give participants on the course an understanding of how to look after themselves and avoid injury.”

“The course content is comprehensive and covers areas such as looking after your back, safe moving techniques, chair to chair / bed transfers, and also demonstration of equipment such as sliding sheets and hoists” he added.

The three hour People Moving Workshops take place at the NAS Training Centre, Cleaboy Business Park, Old Kilmeaden Road on March 6^th and March 18^th.

For further information or to book your place call NAS Training Centre on 051 333960 or visit www.nas.ie.

Home Instead Senior Care launches ‘Age Loudly’ with Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook 2014

Home Instead Senior Care recently launched its free annual handbook and guide “Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook 2014”, which is now available throughout Waterford city and county.  This latest edition calls on older people in Ireland to ‘Age Loudly’ in 2014 and is supported by Age Action, HSE and Nursing Homes Ireland.

So what exactly is ‘ageing loudly’?  According to Danette Connolly, Director of Care at Home Instead Senior Care Waterford, ageing loudly is arming our senior population with resources and information to make life easier.

“Knowledge is power and we believe that this knowledge is crucial in making informed decisions.  The free Essential Guidebook contains quality, relevant and topical information on a vast range of everyday issues.  There is information on issues such as allowances and entitlements, medical advice, discovering new technology, health and nutrition tips and dementia and Alzheimer’s care.”

“The latest edition encourages older people to take personal responsibility for their future by supporting readers through ‘The Care Journey’ – a journey that seeks to maximise opportunities that enhance quality of life and prevents loss of independence for as long as possible”, she added.  

Information in the guide has been gathered and verified from experts in the various fields and is reliable, informative and engaging with the aim of supporting senior citizens and their families live life and age in an informed way so that they can be happy, healthy and independent for as long as possible.

Ed Murphy, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care said, “The Central Statistics Office predicts that, over the next 30 years, the number of people over the age of 65 will double and the number over 80 will quadruple.  Our ageing population is certainly one of humanity’s greatest triumphs.  But it is also one of our greatest challenges with increased economic and social demands on our country, in terms of our funding for quality health and social services, increased cost of living, changes to family and community settings with increased emigration, social isolation and so on.” 

The Senior Citizen Guidebook highlights key areas such as diet, exercise, socialisation, understanding your benefits and entitlements - your medical condition if you have one, appointing a power of attorney and considering your preferred care options for later life.  “Arming yourself with this knowledge will help Ireland create a very much needed culture of care planning, and we believe this is the key foundation to successful ageing.  We want Ireland’s culture to evolve to see care planning as the necessary and smart option for seniors”, he added.

“Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook” features information on:

·                    Allowances and Entitlements for older people and carers

·                    Minding your Health

·                    Elder Abuse

·                    New Technology

·                    Keeping Safe at Home

·                    Home Care

·                    Nursing Homes

·                    Alzheimer’s and other Dementia Care

·                    Tips on Health & Fitness, Nutrition & Diet, Holidays & Travel

·                    Financial and Legal Information

·                    How to deal with Bereavement

·                    Directory of older people’s organisations

·                    Successful Ageing Checklist

You can pick up your free copy of Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook 2014 now from the Home Instead Senior Care Waterford office in the Cleaboy Business Park, local libraries (Ferrybank, Ardkeen and the Central Library), local pharmacies and Ardkeen Quality Foodstore, Dunmore Road on Friday, March 7^th from 10am to 5pm.

Log on to www.homeinstead.ie to download a pdf of the guide.

Inner City Community Youth Projects group wins Padraig O Griofa Youth Enterprise award

"Just Hanging Key Chains" from the Inner City Community Youth Projects was awarded the ‘Padraig O Griofa Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award from Waterford City Enterprise Board.

Now in its second year, Waterford Youth Bank and Waterford City Enterprise Board collaborated to establish a unique relationship aimed at encouraging young entrepreneurs. YOUTHBANK Enterprise Grants provide community groups with the necessary training to develop an enterprising idea, the skills to sell it and funds to run it.  Waterford City Enterprise Board grants were available to all youth groups within Waterford city with successful applications, the evaluation of these applications was undertaken by their peers. 

 

The programme included weekly workshops delivered by local business people giving practical training on subjects such as promoting your idea, finding your market and getting through the Youth Bank interview process.

Successful applicants were then paired with a business mentor who met with the groups offering support and advice.  The groups with products were offered the opportunity of a pop-up shop to sell their goods in last year’s Waterford city Winterval Festival. 

Padraig O Griofa was a well regarded businessman in Waterford and chaired the Waterford City Enterprise Board’s evaluation committee since its inception. He passed in March of 2012 and, wishing to remember his contribution to the business community and Waterford City Enterprise Board in particular, the Board established the ‘Padraig O Griofa Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award. This award was judged from the various Youth Bank groups, and on the criteria of enterprise skills, planning, administration and enthusiasm. 

A number of groups stood out, but the ‘Just Hanging Key Chains’ group were named as overall winners. Darren Kenneally and Michelle Brophy received the perpetual Padraig O’Griofa trophy designed by Sean Egan Art Glass and cinema vouchers compliments of Odeon cinema Waterford.

Ciaran Cullen CEO (Acting) Waterford City Enterprise Board said, “The effort and work that both Youth Bank and these community groups put into their enterprise projects is inspiring.  It was a pleasure to be in a position to invest in a project where the stakeholders are investing so much themselves.” 

The awards took place on February 5th at the Tower Hotel where in excess of 70 attended, including Mayor of Waterford Cllr. John Cummins who spoke about the necessity to encourage entrepreneurship. Mayor Cummins added, “All participants learned a great deal about entrepreneurship, showing a great willingness to plan and turn their concept into a reality.  I want to commend all who took part and pay tribute to all the stakeholders, particularly Waterford City Enterprise board, who was lucky enough to have Padraig O’Griofa on their team for so long. These awards are a fitting way to remember such a well regarded businessman.” 

For further details on Youth Bank’s activities you can find them on www.youthbank.org . Waterford City Enterprise Board offers support services for start-up and existing SME’s in Waterford city. If you have a new business idea or are running a business that requires assistance you can contact the Enterprise Board by phoning Celia on 051-852883 or check out what they have to offer first on www.waterfordceb.com.

Waterford designer to debut at the Design Centre at Powerscourt

Waterford based fashion label, Lutsia, will make its national debut with a “limited edition” of scarves and accessories at Powerscourt Design Centre this Autumn.

Based in the Kite Design Studio, in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle, Lutsia received a very positive reaction from buyers at Showcase at the RDS, Ireland’s Creative Expo.  Showcase actively promotes unique, Irish, design-led products in fashion, crafts, gifts and home accessories and featured almost 450 exhibitors in 2014.

Lutsia was founded by Lucia Domoradova, a second generation seamstress from Slovakia in May 2013.  She was delighted with the response to her collection at Showcase, “It was a great opportunity for a start-up like ours to be at the centre of the fashion and craft industry.  We were supported by Waterford Enterprise Board and as a result got to attend the event with six other local craft producers.  It was a very fast- paced event with influential buyers from across Ireland, Europe and the USA sourcing Irish products.”

“We were extremely fortunate in meeting with the Design Centre at Powerscourt and were asked to create a bespoke “limited edition” of our textured scarves for their Autumn season.  For a small company like ours, making contacts with fashion buyers who showed a genuine interest in our range over the four day event has been invaluable to us.”

Ciaran Cullen, Chief Executive (Acting), Waterford City Enterprise Board, which supports businesses in the Kite Design Studio said, “We are delighted to support and assist a business like Lutsia.  Lucia’s creative flair, eye for detail, and unique fashion insight is gaining her national and international recognition.”

“The beauty of the Kite Design Studio is that it nurtures a creative spirit and all the businesses there feed off each other’s energy, passion and imagination.  Waterford has always been recognised as a city that has many talented craftspeople and Lucia is testament to the fact that they can be recognised much further afield.”

To view the range of ladies fashion, scarves and accessories and bespoke dressmaking service for all occasions, call to Lutsia at the Kite Design Studio, Henrietta Street, Waterford or visit www.lutsia.ie.

If you have a start- up idea talk to Waterford City Enterprise Board by calling 051 852883 or go to www.waterfordceb.com.

Union Kitchen - blending the best of food and enterprise

Co-Founder of Union Kitchen, Jonas Singer, was in Waterford to provide an informative insight into “Food Businesses Collaborating for Success.”  The event which was hosted in Waterford’s Medieval Museum brought together some of the regions best food producers. 

The ‘kitchen incubator’ concept, which Union Kitchen in Washington DC fosters, allows small businesses to share resources, kitchen space, ideas and inspiration.  It also gives would-be food entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the food business; everything from licensing and regulations to marketing and customer service.

George Boyle of Fumbally Exchange, a not for profit movement of creative and innovative professionals sharing work spaces, also spoke of the benefits of a work collective, which ultimately cultivates an atmosphere for creative and regenerative growth.

Dermot Walsh of M&D Bakery, along with three other bakeries, joined forces and were successful in getting Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for the Waterford Blaa in 2013.  Dermot recalled how his experience of “working together can achieve far more than working alone.”

The event was brought to Waterford by the US Embassy and GIY Ireland, with assistance from Waterford City Enterprise Board.

Michael Kelly, founder of GIY Ireland was delighted that such visionaries were in Waterford to share their ideas and experiences.  Michael said “Jonas Singer has created a food movement that takes a lot of uncertainty out of setting up a food business.  All of the businesses at Union Kitchen avail of an abundance of resources, support and common sense that prepares them for the challenges of the food industry.”

Union Kitchen opened its doors in Washington DC in 2012 with the aim of giving food entrepreneurs a collaborative space to leverage the power of working as a group.  Today, the 7,300 sq. ft warehouse is home to over 50 small food businesses ranging from caters and bakers to food trucks and charcuterie makers.

Michael added, “Union Kitchen and Fumbally Exchange have both successfully consolidated a myriad of skill sets, knowledge, professions and infrastructure to help grow the businesses within the collective. It’s a wonderful concept and if realised here can only encourage many entrepreneurs to focus on the food industry and put Ireland firmly at the centre of the global epicurean spotlight.”

Ciaran Cullen, CEO (Acting) Waterford City Enterprise Board, added “These three speakers bring a wealth of experience, vibrancy and energy.  Collectives work and they have proven it, because they diminish costs, they harness a creative and ardent working atmosphere and each member of the collective benefits from the skills and knowledge of others within the group.”

“Here in Waterford we have invested heavily in funding local food producers in the past and will continue to do so.  In fact, one of our most successful projects, the Enterprising Food Network, was founded almost three years ago with the objective of assisting food producers in the areas of branding and packaging, distribution and networking.  The group, made up of restaurants, food producers and horticultural groups, now has 43 members and continues to grow.”

For further details on “Food Businesses collaborating for success”, visit www.unionkitchendc.com, Waterford City Enterprise Boards’ Enterprising Food Network at www.waterfordceb.com or GIY at www.giyinternational.org.