Tim Allen and Hannah Rogers

Admiral Nurses at GWH

Tim Allen and Hannah Rogers

Tim Allen and Hannah Rogers

Tim and Hannah said: “We’re thrilled to be nominated for the Dementia Carer award. Supporting families and carers who look after an individual with dementia is a job we are so privileged to do. We’re so proud to support such inspiring carers who are unsung every day heroes, particularly this past year during the pandemic”.

They were nominated by Kate Myrie, who said: “The Trust’s two Admiral Nurses, Tim Allen and Hannah Rogers, specialise in dementia care, and make up the first Admiral Nursing service in the country to operate an acute and community based model so that patients and families can be supported in the hospital and in their own homes. Trained and supported by Dementia UK, Tim and Hannah provide the specialist dementia support that families need, giving one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions which can be hard to find elsewhere. They work in all wards and departments of GWH, supporting the families of patients who are in hospital for end-of-life care, working with staff to care for patients with families who have complex dementia needs and continuing support in the Swindon locality for patients once they have been discharged. Tim and Hannah work closely with patients admitted to hospital to support their journey and make their stay in hospital more relaxed and comfortable. They visit patients on the wards, offering advice and support as well as helping to calm and de-escalate situations where needed. Their care doesn’t stop here though, and they continue to work with these patients out in the community when they return home or to a residential or care home. Tim and Hannah have recently worked with the Trust’s charity, Brighter Futures, to launch a Dementia Appeal which will raise funds to improve dementia care across the Trust, starting with the purchase of dementia-friendly clocks and RITA therapy machines."

Lily O’Brien

Alzheimer’s Support, Devizes & Melksham home support service

Lily OBrien

Lily O'Brien

Lily said: “Wow what an absolute privilege. It was such a lovely surprise to be nominated for this award and totally unexpected. I feel honoured that my commitment and effort has been recognised. My job is very special and rewarding and I love working for Alzheimer’s Support.”

She was nominated by Monique Bentley, who said: “Throughout the pandemic, Lily has continued to provide essential social care to individuals with dementia and those that care for them despite the uncertainty faced by herself. As her line manager, I receive praise for her work on a daily basis from every direction. Through her practice she promotes independence, dignity, and choice - setting an example to others. Through her work she shows the local community that a person with dementia is a person who like everyone else is to be valued. Lily adapted her practices to ensure service users interests could continued to be explored during national restrictions. For those that enjoyed expressing themselves through music Lily purchased (herself) a keyboard which through its smart functions enabled those service users to create music, sing and dance like no body was watching. This provided an important emotional outlet for them and some heart-warming videos. She learnt to knit because it mattered to a new service user. Previously she had expressed there was no hope of her acquiring such a skill however, on meeting the lady it became apparent to Lily that the work she does (creates blankets for a homeless charity) was very important to her. Lily recognised their low sense of self and belonging as a result of loss of ability due to their diagnosis and asked the individual to teach her to knit. This delighted them and Lily amazed herself. The process enabled the individual to realise that they still had something to give, skills that were recognised by others. This in turn empowered the individual to become more active in her daily life, make a hot drink for herself, prepare lunch and begin to explore other interests with Lily's support and encouragement. She is now looking forward to leaving the house when possible."