Dungarvan plans to become first Dementia Friendly town in Ireland

Home Instead Senior Care is currently providing a free training programme to local businesses and their staff in Dungarvan who, through the course of their normal working day, may come into contact with dementia and Alzheimer’s sufferers. 

While it is estimated that there are over 50,000 people affected by dementia in Ireland today, what is equally concerning is that this number is expected to rise to 140,000 in the next 25 years.

The free training programme, devised and facilitated by Home Instead Senior Care has so far been undertaken by 13 Dungarvan businesses, including Garvey’s SuperValu, The Park Hotel, Bank of Ireland, AIB, pharmacies and restaurants.

Ray Power, Manager Home Instead Senior Care Waterford stressed the importance of service providers and retailers having a better understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“Every day in Dungarvan, someone with dementia goes into a shop, a bank, a restaurant and, as is too often the case with dementia or Alzheimer’s, that person may be confused, disorientated or isolated.  The premise of this dementia training workshop is to help businesses and their staff understand dementia, recognise the signs and interact appropriately with that person.”

“From very simply recognising the symptoms of dementia in a person to dealing with them appropriately and compassionately through apt body movements, body language and voice tone, staff will be better equipped to assist and reassure a person with dementia, in order for that person to have a stress and anxiety free experience.”

Dungarvan Chamber of Commerce recently completed the dementia workshop and is actively encouraging more local businesses to sign up for training.

Jenny Beresford, CEO Dungarvan Chamber of Commerce was enthusiastic about the initiative. “We are delighted to be working with Home Instead Senior Care to address the needs of those with dementia and their families.  Dungarvan businesses have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to providing excellent customer care. We feel that local businesses, being some of the first in the country to undertake this training programme, will certainly add value to the Dungarvan retail and service experience, not just for locals, but for those who come to visit the area.”

Mr. Power added “We are determined to make Dungarvan Ireland’s first fully Dementia Friendly Town.  The derivatives of this are manifold.  For people with dementia, visiting, shopping and staying in Dungarvan it will become an even more agreeable experience. It would encourage, what is often a marginalised sector and their family carers, who can also feel very isolated and alone, to become more enmeshed in the local community.  This is something we at Home Instead Senior Care believe can only have massive benefits to those with dementia, their carers and their families.”

If you are a business owner and are interested in finding out more about Home Instead Senior Care Dementia Training workshops, visit www.homeinstead.ie or call Waterford Home Instead Senior Care on 058 75298.

Spectral phenomena expected at Loftus Hall’s Halloween experience!

For many of us Halloween conjures up images of trick or treating, dressing in ghoulish costume, pumpkin carving or bobbing for apples!

However, these contemporary Halloween activities are based on practices dating back to the darker origins of Halloween, or Samhain.  Around 2,000 years ago in Celtic Ireland, Samhain was the division of the year between summer and winter.  During Samhain, the divide between this world and other domains was at its thinnest which gave spirits greater opportunity to pass through to this world.

Loftus Hall, in Co. Wexford, will celebrate Samhain, and as Ireland’s most haunted house, you can expect to experience some eerie encounters and hear some ghostly tales from Loftus Hall’s past.

Nestled on the Hook Peninsula in Co. Wexford in barren and austere surroundings, Loftus Hall’s heritage dates back 665 years to 1350. It is now a magnet for tourists, historians, and paranormal enthusiasts, who continue to document evidence of frequent paranormal activity in the house. Highlighting some of this activity, Loftus Hall will feature on TV3 this Halloween, with a fascinating account of an Irish Ghost Hunters Investigation.

According to Aidan Quigley, Owner of Loftus Hall, Loftus Hall is a very special, but unpredictable, place to be during Samhain. “We observe strange phenomena in the house throughout the year, but at Halloween, the house often surprises us.”

 “At Loftus Hall, there is no need for overstated gory props or effects.  The house has a very twisted and tortured history, and so naturally speaks for itself. We have had reports from many ghost hunting groups and spectre seekers who recount rather unsettling results, such as significant temperature drops, particularly in the Chapel and Tapestry Room, and spikes in electro-magnetic fields, indicating an unseen energy source. Visitors to Loftus Hall continually experience and qualify these findings, and many encounter things that they can’t quite explain.”

The Loftus Hall Samhain Tours open to the public from October 17^th and visitors should expect some strange and inexplicable goings-on.

It’s not only ghost hunters who have documented ethereal activities at Loftus Hall.  Following last year’s viral “ghost photo” which hit the international headlines when tourist Thomas Beavis snapped what appeared to be a ghostly apparition in the porch way of the Hall, another visitor to Loftus Hall, Tara McMeel also captured some strange ghostly apparitions in a “selfie” shot.

The continuous visitor feedback regarding unnatural experiences, and tangible captures of evidence such as this, keeps world-wide curiosity rife about Loftus Hall and its ominous past.

Mr. Quigley revealed, “Without giving too much away about the newly designed family or adult Samhain tours, I can confirm they will both feature the re-enactment of the much heralded, infamous “dark stranger” episode.  Charles Tottenham Loftus, the then custodian of the Hall in the 18^th century, invited a stranger to play cards.  During the card game, as his daughter Anne who was captivated by this stranger, bent to retrieve a fallen playing card, she discovered that the invited guest had cloven hooves.  The stranger flew into a fiery rage, crashing through the roof leaving in his wake a smell of sulphur and brimstone, and the very same roof has been irreparable ever since. This Legend is synonymous with Loftus Hall, and is a fundamental part of the houses spectral history.”

If you want to experience Samhain in an authentic haunted house, Loftus Hall Hall’oween tours commence from October 17^th with a range of family tours each day, adult night tours on October 24^th, 25^th, 30^th and 31^st, and the ultimate Halloween Paranormal Investigation Lockdown on the 7^th November.

To find out more about the Daily Halloween Tours, Adult Night tours, or the Loftus Hall Halloween Lockdown at Loftus Hall visit www.loftushall.ie or call 051 397728.

Rotary Club Film night brings Spectre to Waterford

The Rotary Club of Waterford is proud to present a special ‘Premiere Sequel’ screening of the latest Bond movie ‘Spectre’.

This charity evening takes place at Waterford Omniplex (former Regina) on Patrick Street on Tuesday October 27^th at 8pm.

Spectre

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Nora Widger, President of the Rotary Club of Waterford is looking forward to the event, “We at Waterford Rotary are delighted to return with another film night, and what a film! The Bond series is always exciting and popular and we expect a large number attending this eagerly anticipated film night.”

The Rotary Club of Waterford raised approximately €30,000 for charities in 2014, including local charities such as Waterford Hospice. Waterford Rotary Club is best known locally for the annual Memorial Christmas Tree in John Roberts Square. 

Tickets cost €25 (all of which goes to charity) and can be purchased Nolke Opticians Ardkeen or David M Breen & Co, Wallace House, Waterford.

Coffee House Lane brings home the Bronze!

With over 2,500 food and drink products entered in this year’s Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards competition, Waterford’s Coffee Warehouse brought bronze back to the Deise from Dingle.

Now in its eight year, the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition on the island of Ireland for quality Irish produce and Coffee Warehouse’s “Coffee House Lane Blend 1690” picked up the accolade in the best coffee category.

Coffee Warehouse is renowned for its Ponticelli brand and in April this year launched its new coffee brand, Coffee House Lane, in honour of Waterford’s coffee roasting tradition. 

Mark Bergin, founder of Coffee Warehouse was delighted to receive the award.  “It’s a fantastic boost for our company, and a great endorsement of a new coffee blend that was only launched six months ago.  Not only is it a bonus to receive recognition from the Blas judging panel, it gives us the confidence to promote our coffee not just in Ireland, but throughout the UK and eventually Europe.”

“Exploring new export markets was always part of our business strategy, but the fact that Coffee House Lane now has a Blas na hEireann award for one of the best coffees in Ireland, will be hugely advantageous to our company.”

Mark also believes that the Blas na hEireann awards encourage food and drink producers to provide consumers with quality produce.  “Waterford is punching well above its weight in terms of good food and drink producers. There is a very passionate and proactive collective of Waterford growers, producers and retailers who are dedicated to supplying customers with good quality products and an enjoyable food experience.  Competitions, such as Blas na hEireann, encourage producers to aim for consistently high standards.”

Amongst the more renowned foodstuffs that originated in Waterford such as the blaa, rasher and cream cracker, coffee was roasted in Waterford back as far as 1690.  John Aikenhead was the visionary who first brewed and distributed coffee in Ireland, from his coffee house in the aptly named Coffee House Lane, and the Coffee House Lane Blend 1690 plays homage to the significant role Waterford played in bringing coffee to the Irish public.

In that past year Coffee Warehouse has increased its distribution exponentially since its participation in the SuperValu Food Academy “Start” and “Advance” programmes and is now stocked in 135 SuperValu stores throughout the country, Ardkeen Quality Food Store and numerous independent retailers.  Without the support of agencies such as Waterford Local Enterprise Office, Love Irish Food and SuperValu, Mark says, the company “would not be where it is today.”

Ciaran Cullen, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, congratulated Coffee Warehouse on its award.  “Mark and his team at Coffee Warehouse are dedicated to the pursuit of bringing good coffee to their customers.  By exploring and undertaking new and innovative roasting techniques and sourcing the finest coffee beans from Kenya, Sumatra, Ethiopia and Brazil, Coffee Warehouse has raised the bar for all coffee producers in the country.”

“Having been involved with the development of the brand concept of Coffee House Lane, with invaluable assistance from Eamonn McEneaney, Director of Waterford Museum of Treasures Waterford LEO is delighted that Coffee House Lane’s Blend 1690 was recognised at the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards.”

For more information about Coffee House Lane and the range of Coffee Warehouse blends visit www.ponticelli.ie or keep up to date with Coffee House Lane on Facebook and Twitter.