The Carers Association is reminding people in Westmeath to nominate their Carers of the Year in appreciation of the caring work carried out across the county for their loved ones, those with special needs and those terminally ill. The closing date for receipt of nominations has been extended to Friday September 18 and the Carers Association urge all those who know a family carer to nominate them and recognise the high levels of care they provide.
In these times of doom and gloom it is now even more imperative to support positive occasions such as the Carers of the Year Awards. Following on from Government reneging on publishing the National Carers Strategy, The Carers Association feels it is vital to reward family carers for the extraordinary levels of care they carry out, often twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
All carers nominated will receive special commendation with regional winners from Munster, Leinster, Connaught and Dublin advancing to a special award ceremony in Dublin. Patrons of the Carers Association Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan will present the overall Carer of the Year with his or her award at this award ceremony.
There is also a special award for Ireland's Young Carer of the Year, in recognition of carers under 18 years of age who provide care to ill or disabled family members in the home. Their work often goes unrecognised and their own social, health and educational needs are often neglected as a result of their caring role.
The Carers of the Year Awards, sponsored by Emergency Response, will present weekend breaks to regional award recipients and a week long trip for two in Europe to the overall Carer of the Year.
Nomination Forms are available from The Carers Association, 2 Careys Lane, Bishopsgate Street, Mullingar; through the National Careline 1800 24 07 24 or nominate online on www.carersireland.com
