Hero nurse who does patients’ laundry and is always on hand to care
December 19, 2017
‘FOR Anita, it’s not about dying from dementia, it’s about living with it to the end with dignity that matters,’ says a colleague. ‘I left a better-paid job to work for her because she is so inspirational.’
This was just one of the many glowing testimonies commending Anita Ruckledge, a dementia lead nurse, when she was unveiled as one of Good Health’s Health Heroes in 2017.
‘If a patient has no family, Anita takes their washing home to ensure they’re dressed cleanly and appropriately,’ a colleague told us. ‘She also set up a dignity cupboard of new clothes for those who have none, funded by car boot sales and sponsored walks she does on weekends.’
Anita, who’s spent her entire working life looking after patients with dementia, since joining the healthcare profession at the age of just 17, also helped to design a 41-bed dementia-friendly ward at her hospital. Among many innovations such as a ‘pop-up’ vintage tea room to stimulate happy memories, she
introduced family support suites where loved ones can stay.
‘I’d seen families sleeping on the floor and thought that was not right,’ says Anita. Hers was the first hospital to do this for end-of-life care and distressed patients with dementia.
Her phone is ‘never switched off’, so relatives can call her at any time.
On her days off, Anita, 60, travels the country giving talks to raise awareness about dementia and patient care.
Anita describes dementia care as her ‘passion’. ‘It is a privilege to do the work,’ she says.
‘It’s not a job, it’s a vocation. I want our elderly to be treated with respect and compassion.’