Delirium Awareness Flag launched at Tullamore hospital during Positive Ageing Week
Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore (MRHT) Older Persons Team launched the Irish Delirium Awareness Flag today (Thursday) as part of Positive Ageing Week 2025.
The well-attended ceremony brought together hospital staff and community representatives to welcome this important awareness initiative.
The Irish Delirium Awareness Flag is designed to highlight the impact of delirium across health services in the Midlands, including acute hospitals and community care.
The launch marked the beginning of the flag’s journey across the Dublin and Midlands health region, symbolising a shared commitment to better delirium recognition, prevention, and care.
As it travels from site to site, the flag will gather signatures and spark conversations, helping to raise awareness of delirium, a serious, often preventable condition that affects many older adults, particularly during hospital stays.
Following its initial travels, the flag will return to MRHT for World Delirium Awareness Day on March 11, 2026, before continuing its journey to other HSE services nationwide.
Delirium is a common condition that causes sudden confusion or increased drowsiness, usually developing over one or two days. It can often be the first sign that someone is becoming unwell. Because its symptoms are sometimes mistaken for dementia progression, raising awareness is vital for early detection and effective care.
“This initiative is a powerful reminder 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 standing for better outcomes for older patients—raising awareness and fostering collaboration across the region. We look forward to following the flag’s journey as it travels across Ireland.”
The campaign forms 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 continued commitment to enhancing the experience and outcomes of older people in hospital care.
The initiative has been warmly welcomed by staff, patients, and community representatives, and is being celebrated as an important step in promoting age-friendly healthcare across the Midlands.