Prestigious industry recognition for Ballyclare care home manager

Lesley McKillen, Home Manager at Rathmena House in the Rathmena Gardens area of the town, was announced as runner up of the Nurse of the Year category at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year 2022 awards ceremony.

The event was held at the Culloden Hotel in Holywood and was attended by various leaders within the nursing profession and Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA.

Lesley’s achievement was a result of the work she has done over the last year to develop a centre of excellence for residents with complex care needs at Rathmena House.

Over the last year, Lesley has led her team to develop this specialist care service for residents with complex tracheostomy.

Lesley identified there was little to no services provided for these patients within a community setting.

Believing and embracing equitable access for everyone, Lesley developed a service within the home that met the communication and clinical care needs of these patients.

A resident receiving this specialist care noted: “The support has been tremendous in my daily life. The care I have received has been second to none.”

Furthermore, the mother of another resident commented: “We are so grateful my son is in capable hands. He has thrived since moving to the home, that’s down to Lesley and her staff.”

Not only transforming these patients’ lives, Lesley’s work has also drawn significant interest from Healthcare Trust personnel seeking to understand how well this model of care works within the home.

Heather Murray, Group Quality and Development Manager at MD Healthcare explained: “We are immensely proud of Lesley’s magnificent achievement which is justly deserved and stands as testimony to the great work and team which she leads.

“I echo the sentiments of those who know best the true value of our excellent people and great care in Rathmena House, which is an asset and adds so much value to our local community.”

Rathmena House provides nursing care for up to 26 residents.

MD Healthcare Ltd, part of the Domestic Care Group, is a care home provider with six care homes throughout Northern Ireland providing residential, nursing and dementia care.