Cork carer nominated for prestigious national award

A Cork carer, who is also training to become a nurse, has been nominated for a prestigious national award.
Hannah Murphy from Farran has been named the Cork regional winner of the Right at Home Carer of the Year Awards. She will now represent Cork alongside six other regional finalists as the awards progress to the national stage.
Hannah has been recognised for the compassion, patience and professionalism she brings to her role, supporting people to live safely and independently in their own homes.
Hannah comes from a long line of nurses and carers. “My family were a big inspiration to me. My grandmother was a nurse, and then my aunt became one too. Growing up, she would tell me stories about taking care of people and how rewarding it was, so that’s how I decided to get into it.”
She is currently studying nursing in UCC, and when she’s not in classes or on placement, she works as a carer. “I got my QQI [qualification] and then I started working with Right At Home about a year and a half ago. I love helping people, especially people who can’t help themselves.”
She is currently in her second year of college, and she mainly works as a carer in the evenings and on weekends when she’s not studying. “Going into people’s homes and helping them is my favourite part of the job. You can see it’s such a relief for them to have someone to help them out with the little things. Even just warming up their clothes in the winter time, so they are warm when they put them on, seeing their appreciation for that is so sweet.”
She does a lot of evening shifts, which involves helping people to bed, prompting their medication and settling them in for the evening. “I’ve built really good relationships with a lot of people. They ask how my life, studies and placements are going, which is really nice.”
Speaking about being the Cork region’s finalist for the Right at Home Carer of the Year Awards, Hannah says she is delighted and very grateful to receive this recognition. “Being able to support people to remain comfortable and independent in their own homes is incredibly rewarding, and the relationships you build along the way make the role even more special. I’m very proud to represent the Cork team.”
Established by Right at Home in 2020, the awards recognise the exceptional work carried out by carers across the organisation. Nominations are submitted by those who see their work first-hand, including clients, clients’ families, colleagues, managers and supervisors.
The national winner will be announced at the Carer of the Year Awards in Galway on 16 October. Good luck Hannah!