Robo-cat innovator brings home gold in care awards
FIRST it was robotic cats, now it’s a trial with a pretend puppy.
That’s the sort of innovative thinking which has won care home manager Mary Williams a gold at the Wales Care Awards.
Mary, who runs Gwyddfor Residential Care Home in Holyhead, won the main Excellence in Dementia Care Award at the glittering ceremony staged at City Hall in Cardiff.
It was the 15th annual Wales Care Awards organised by Care Forum Wales, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
“We are always looking for new treatments, always looking outside the box,” said Mary. “We are very innovative here.”
Gwyddfor has six robotic cats, four for several months and two more recent additions.
Mary said. “They are beautiful little things, just like real cats. They are covered in fur, they are battery operated, and they even purr!
“We’ve named four – Snowy, Amber, Ginger and Goldilocks – and we’ll have another naming day soon. All our residents love them. They have a massive impact.
“One of our residents adopted a real cat, a stray, and the idea came from there. They are very therapeutic for all our residents, not just those suffering from dementia.”
Now the experiment has been extended to a robotic puppy.
“One of residents who had had a dog for eight years was allowed to bring it here on a trial basis,” said Mary.
“Ollie, a small terrier, passed the trial with flying colours and is now here permanently. We have just had a robotic puppy delivered and we’ll see how that goes.”
Of the awards ceremony, Mary said: “It was a fantastic night. I couldn’t believe it when I was named winner of the gold award. For once in my life I was speechless.
“This is a vocation, not just a job. You have to devote your life to it.”
Mary was nominated by husband Glyn for the Excellence in Dementia Care award sponsored by HC-One Ltd, which operates more than 300 care homes throughout the UK. The presentation was made by Ana Palazan, director for Wales, Parkinson’s UK Cymru.
Mary entered the care sector in 1981 when she was 19, with her initial training provided by a convent-run hospital on the island of Uist in the Outer Hebrides, where she was brought up.
She married Glyn in 1982, when he was in the RAF, and followed him around the world working in various care homes.
In 2004, Glyn, retired from the RAF and he and Mary bought Gwyddfor residential home in Holyhead.
Mother-of-three Mary said: “We have 27 residents at Gwyddfor, 11 of them suffering from dementia, which is a very cruel disease.
“You have to be very patient with dementia sufferers, but, once you get to know them properly, there is an amazing transformation.
“You have to be special person to work in a residential home like this and fortunately all our staff are.”
When Mary is not at work she can be found on her computer at home at Llanerchymedd on Anglesey.
“I’m always looking for new ways of treating our residents. I’m always looking outside the box.”
The idea to buy a residential home came solely from Mary, says Glyn.
Her main motivation was to make a difference to the way in which dementia care was provided.
Mary’s philosophy is to provide dementia care through the medium of play. Her input led to Gwyddfor winning the RCF – Research Capability Funding - dementia project award in 2014.
Glyn says Mary is the key person for pre-admission assessments, which involves intensive family liaison.
“Mary knows a great deal about outdated practice, having worked in the care sector for 37 years,” said Glyn. “Dementia care through play is her motto.”
Mary and Glyn, who looks after the finances, staff rotas, health and safety, and is part of the general team at Gwyddfor, have three sons – Ashley, 23, and 18-year-old twins Sean and Haydn.
“There is a bar attached to the home which serves proper pints,” says Mary. “Our residents like noth- ing better than to enjoy a drink at the end of the day.”
Mario Kreft, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “There are only winners here tonight so it is only fitting that the finalists have received a gold, silver or bronze Wales Care Award.
“I trust that they will continue to inspire those around them as role models and encourage others to aspire to even greater heights in the months and years to come.
“This awards ceremony is our opportunity to pay tribute and to celebrate the talent and commitment that is improving the quality of life for thousands and thousands of people throughout Wales.
“We take our hats off to them.”