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A DUNGANNON woman has been nominated for a national award for her remarkable work helping patients living with dementia.
Mary Jackson, a dementia companion who works in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has been nominated for Inspirational Clinical Support Worker of the Year award in the Our Health Heroes Award.
She has worked as a Health Care Assistant in South Tyrone Hospital for 10 years and has just recently, in the last 18 months become a dementia companion.
Dementia companions work closely with nursing staff in hospitals spending time befriending and chatting with patients and supporting and assisting them and their families.
“I was totally shocked when I got the news that I had been nominated for the award and my family are just over the moon,” she said.
Mary explained why she wanted to become a dementia companion. “It’s a very rewarding role and I just felt that the patients needed a bit of extra attention, just someone to sit down and befriend them because a lot of these patients are coming into the ward and they have never been in hospital before so it is quite daunting for them.”
Mairead McGahan who is the Service Improvement Lead for Dementia at the Trust said, “I nominated Mary for the award and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving she’s an incredible person and is very passionate about what she does. Mary is very creative about finding new ways to engage with patients and support them and is currently designing a dementia garden for patients.”
The voting window for Inspirational Clinical Support Worker of the Year Award is open until tomorrow Friday and the Our Health Heroes award ceremony will take place on March 24.
To vote for Mary visit: https://bit.ly/3FYSK0a
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