Caru Programme

🍃 Celebrating Nursing Homes Week 2026 🍃

This year's theme, "Connected with Nature", highlights the important role nature can play in enhancing wellbeing, connection and quality of life for nursing home residents.

At Caru, we are proud to support Nursing Homes Ireland Nursing Homes Week and its focus on person-centred care, meaningful relationships, and creating environments where residents can thrive.

Looking for more opportunities to connect, learn and share experiences?
Registration is now open for the upcoming Caru Virtual Network, bringing together residents, families and staff from across Ireland.
👉Register today: https://qr.caru.ie/VNE-2026-tickets

Why join the Caru Virtual Network ❓

✔ Connect with nursing home colleagues, residents and families nationwide
✔ Share experiences and learn from others in an inclusive enviornment
✔ Demystify palliative, end of life and bereavement care
✔ Earn a NMBI-accredited Certificate of Attendance

📅 Registration is now open. Secure your place: https://qr.caru.ie/VNE-2026-tickets

Are you wondering what is in store for our Virtual Network❓

Here is our agenda for the Caru Virtual Network - Palliative Care - It's Not What You Think !📅
Have a look at the topics we'll be covering during this year's webinar. This year our Virtual Network event will be delievred during Palliative Care Week 2026.🩷

👆Register now: https://qr.caru.ie/VNE-2026-tickets

Registrations are now open for our Caru Virtual Network !📅

Palliative Care - It's Not What You Think...
This year our Virtual Network event will be delievred during Palliative Care Week 2026.🩷
Our networks provide a platform for staff to develop both professionally and personally while also providing opportunities to share learning, offer peer support and network.

👉Register Now: https://qr.caru.ie/VNE-2026-tickets

📢Postgraduate Researcher Opportunity: Evaluation of the 2026 Caru Seed Grants Programme

Caru, delivered by Irish Hospice Foundation in partnership with AIIHPC and the HSE, has awarded funding to 6 Seed Grant projects in 2026. These projects explore creative approaches - storytelling, music, memory-sharing and visual arts - to encourage conversations about Advance Care Planning within residential care settings.

We are now seeking a postgraduate researcher to work alongside our Research and Policy team to evaluate the programme, with a particular focus on how these creative approaches contribute to engagement with Advance Care Planning and how they can be sustained at a systems level over time.

📍 Dublin 2, Ireland
💶 Grant: €4,500
⏳ Closing date: 27 July 2026
🗓️ Work commences mid-August 2026, with final report due end of November 2026.

Apply by the link in comments!

Participating nursing homes span Mayo, Kerry, Dublin North, Offaly, Kilkenny, and Meath. The evaluation involves semi-structured interviews with workshop facilitators, a focus group with nursing home management and field observations, followed by qualitative analysis and a final report, executive summary, and presentation of findings.

We welcome applications from candidates with a background in social sciences, health sciences, public health or a related discipline, and experience in qualitative research or evaluation.

For queries, contact the Research Team at [email protected]!

Our Caru Regional Networking Event brought together dedicated nursing home staff and partners in Killaloe, Co. Clare - our final networking event in this series - for an inspiring day of learning and connection.

A big thank you to all our speakers for sharing their expertise on advance care planning, palliative care, and improving end‑of‑life experiences. Special thanks also to Siel Bleu Ireland for bringing the energy!

Grateful to everyone who joined us, we’re excited to keep building these connections.

Milford Care Centre

Kerry, you were great craic altogether!

In the beggining of June our Caru Regional Networking Event brought together representatives from Co. Kerry and Co. Cork in Killarney!

Big thanks to all for sharing their expertise on advance care planning and palliative care support across the North-West Irish cost.

Grá and gratitude also to our partners Siel Bleu Ireland and the Patient Advocacy Service Ireland.

Sláinte to everyone who joined us, see you at the next one! ☘️