A homely welcome for new residents at Aras Mhuire

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN NEW residents at Aras Mhuire in Tuam will be greeted with a lovely surprise thanks to the introduction of welcome packs, which have been donated by Feely's Pharmacy in Tuam. [private] The welcome packs, which were launched by Mayor of Tuam Cllr Mary Loftus, are specifically designed for male and female residents, and contain items such as a toilet bag, aftershave, perfume, moisturiser, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and comb. A grateful Mary Egan, Director of Nursing, Aras Mhuire, said it was wonderful for residents to receive these gifts when they arrive at the community nursing unit and that it would ease the transition from their own home to their new home. Noreen Feely Carter of Feely's Pharmacy said, 'We are delighted to help make the move from a person's home into Aras Mhuire more personal and welcoming. We hope that the packs will make the residents' first few days and weeks less stressful and help meet their needs in a sensitive and practical way.' Mayor of Tuam, Cllr Mary Loftus, commented on the feeling of homeliness at Aras Mhuire, which has 18 long-stay, three respite and two palliative care beds. The joy in the place 'Aras Mhuire caters for such a large catchment area and provides a wonderful service to residents and their families. I am amazed at the joy in the place with everyone looking happy and relaxed and I can see that people are being cared for in a gentle way and are in the best hands possible.' Along with the welcome packs, new residents will also receive an information pack, which has been developed by staff at Aras Mhuire. The information pack contains a welcome card, information about the services, information on residents' rights, complaints procedures and advocacy services. Information booklets on Elder Abuse and the HSE's â€ËœYour Service Your Say' are also included. 'We want to make our residents feel as welcome as possible in their new home and the welcome packs will help a great deal in making them feel comfortable and at home. We put together the information packs to help introduce the residents and their families to the services at Aras Mhuire, and feel it is useful for them to have all the information and phone numbers that they may need in the one pack,' added Mary Egan. [/private]