Caru
Supporting Care and Compassion at End of Life in Nursing Homes
A continuous learning programme
Supporting Care and Compassion at End of Life in Nursing Homes
A continuous learning programme

Caru is a new learning programme for nursing homes. The initiative has been developed by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) in partnership with All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) and the HSE.
This five-year programme is offered free of charge to every Nursing Home in Ireland, numbering approximately 580. Its aim is to improve the delivery to residents of compassionate and person-centred palliative, end-of-life, and bereavement care. This will be achieved through a multi-strand, integrated programme which enables all nursing homes to engage at a level appropriate to them.
Caru AIIHPC Webinars
As a Caru programme partner, All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) will facilitate 6 webinars annually, on a wide range of topics which reflect the complexity of both palliative care and the care of older people. These will include topics of interest in areas of clinical knowledge, symptom recognition, patient management and awareness of current best practices. Sectoral developments of national importance and updates in palliative care and the care of older people will also form part of the webinar programme.
These virtual events are free and are open to staff in all nursing homes. Speaker presentations are recorded and made openly accessible to nursing homes via our learning platform. Our attendees are invited to submit questions during the registration process, and these are discussed by a panel of specialists (including specialist palliative care and gerontology, as appropriate) following the topic-expert’s presentation.
The webinars are one hour long and include a short presentation by a subject expert, followed by a facilitated questions and answers session with a panel of experts from a range of disciplines and organisations. Participants are encouraged to submit burning topic related questions during the registration process for each webinar as well during each session. These questions and feedback help to shape the content of future Caru AIIHIPC webinars.
Recordings of Caru Webinars are available on The Caru Learning Hub area of our Palliative Hub Learning Platform
2023 webinar series
A Palliative Care Approach for People Living with Dementia in Residential Settings. Prof Suzanne Timmons, University College Cork
Preventative Measures for Residents with High Risk of Stroke. Lisa Donnelly, Connolly Hospital
Ethical Issues Relative to End of Life in the Nursing Home and Residential Care Setting. Dr Bernadette Brady, Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services and St James’s Hospital
Update on Polypharmacy, Medication Management and Deprescribing in Palliative Care in Nursing Home and Residential Care Settings. Chris Dalton, Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services and Clara H. Heinrich, University College Cork
2022 webinar series
Update on Parkinson’s Disease and Nursing Home Care. Dr Ruth Mc Donagh, Tallaght University Hospital
The Deteriorating Patient in a Nursing Home Setting. Claire Noonan, Tallaght University Hospital
Delirium and Nursing Home Care. Dr Aoife Fallon, Tallaght University Hospital
An Update on Falls and Nursing Home Care. Dr Robert Briggs, St James’s Hospital
Palliative and End of Life Care in Residential Care Settings. Dr Michael Connolly, University College Dublin
Update on Mental Health and Older People in Residential Settings. Dr Niall Galligan, Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services
For further information on the Caru Programme, Caru Webinars or Caru AIIHPC Project Echo Nursing Home Knowledge Networks please contact:
Miriam Ahern, Project Manager for Nursing Home Education e: mahern@aiihpc.org t: 087 096 4468