Tullamore Hospital launches new Irish Delirium Awareness Flag during Positive Aging Week

THE Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore (MRHT) Older Persons Team proudly launched the Irish Delirium Awareness Flag earlier this month as part of Positive Aging Week 2025.

At a well-attended launch ceremony in the hospital, staff and community representatives welcomed this worthy and exciting awareness initiative.

The Irish Delirium Awareness Flag aims to raise awareness of delirium across health services in the Midlands, including the acute hospitals and community services.

As the flag moves from location to location, it will collect signatures and start conversations aiming to raise awareness of delirium which is a serious, often preventable condition that affects many older adults, particularly in hospital settings.

Delirium is a common medical condition that causes a person to become newly confused or display an increase in drowsiness. It happens suddenly, over one or two days.

It is often the first sign that a person is becoming unwell. Symptoms of delirium are sometimes mistaken as a progression of their dementia.The launch event marked the beginning of the flag’s journey as it sets out to travel across the Dublin and Midlands health region, symbolising a shared commitment to improving delirium recognition, prevention, and care.

The flag, following its initial travel will return to MRHT to coincide with World Delirium Awareness Day on 11th March, 2026, before continuing its journey to other HSE services beyond the region.

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“This initiative is a powerful reminder to us all of the importance of recognising and responding to delirium,” said Mary Berry, Falls & Frailty Clinical Nurse Specialist at MRHT.

“By launching the flag here in Tullamore, we are taking a stand for better outcomes for our older patients, by raising awareness of delirium and fostering collaboration across the region. We are really looking forward to seeing the journey that the flag takes as is begins its travels across Ireland.”

The campaign is part of a broader national and international effort to shine a light on delirium, promote early detection, and support families and caregivers. It reflects MRHT’s ongoing commitment to improving the experience and outcomes of older people in hospital care.

Interim Director of Nursing at MRHT, Brendan Malone added, “We are proud to be the starting point for this important awareness campaign in the Midlands. Delirium can have a profound impact on patients and families, and by raising awareness, we are helping to ensure timely recognition and compassionate care. This initiative aligns with our values of dignity, respect, and excellence in care for older adults.”

Molly Buckley, Chair of Offaly’s Older People Council, who spoke on behalf of the OPC and its wider network said, “I am delighted to support this unique and engaging campaign launched  by the Older Persons Team in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore as it raises awareness of delirium and the need for prevention, early recognition and treatment of delirium.”

The initiative is warmly received by staff, patients, and community representatives, and is being celebrated as a meaningful step forward in further promoting age-friendly healthcare across the Midlands.

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