International Nurses Week: Care Rooted in Compassion

Nursing is often spoken about as one profession, but the day-to-day reality can look very different depending on where a nurse works, who they support and the kind of care being given. While some nurses work in fast-paced hospital environments focused mainly on treatment and recovery, nursing within social care can offer more opportunity to build long-term relationships and support people not just physically, but emotionally and socially too.

As part of International Nurses Week, we spoke to Lucy Hernaman, a social care nurse at Heanton Nursing Home in North Devon. Reflecting on her experiences supporting people living with dementia and complex needs, Lucy shared how working in social care changed her understanding of compassionate nursing and the importance of truly knowing the people you care for.

Lucy, who joined Heanton in 2021, spoke about how different the home felt compared to more traditional and institutional care settings she had previously experienced.

“Heanton is about as far from institutionalised as it could possibly be,” she said. “I wish more nurses had the opportunity to experience placements in homes like this during their training.”

Lucy explained that one of the biggest things she learned was the importance of understanding the emotional and social needs behind a person’s behaviour, rather than simply reacting to the behaviour itself.

“When I first started at Heanton I had very little dementia knowledge,” she said. “I soon found that people behaved a certain way for many different reasons and that it was important to identify those reasons, especially when someone may not have the capacity to tell us themselves.”

She also spoke about the home’s flexible approach to care and supporting people to continue living life in a way that feels natural to them.

“In some places I had worked before, people were expected to fit into the home’s schedule,” Lucy said. “At Heanton, family members are supported to live as they wish. There is no strict routine, and people aren’t made to fit into a mould.”

Lucy described the home’s approach to medication as another area that stood out to her, explaining that understanding distress and recognising early signs of discomfort could often help avoid situations escalating.

“I love Heanton’s stance towards medication and that it is always used as a last resort,” she said. “Far more work and skill goes into meeting a person’s needs than simply managing the after-effects of an incident.”

Speaking about what matters most to her as a nurse, Lucy said human connection remained at the heart of good care.

“The thing I most love about my job is that I am allowed to love the family members as if they were my own family,” she said. “Sometimes that human connection is what makes a person’s day. The people we look after are our equals and this is how we should care for them.”

To read the whole story:  International Nurses Week: Care Rooted in Compassion - Heanton Nursing Home

School Children Visit North Devon Care Home for VE Day

To mark the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), students from Ilfracombe Junior School visited Edenmore Nursing Home to share their World War II projects with family members (residents) living at the home.

The children spent time with different family members, showing them the workbooks they had created as part of their World War II projects, and offering them to family members who wanted to have a closer look through them themselves. The work included historical photographs from the wartime period alongside written sections exploring different aspects of the war.

There were some very special moments throughout the visit. Ann, a family member, was left laughing and smiling when one student shared that the best part about dressing up as an evacuee was not having to wear a school uniform!

Another child proudly told his teacher, ‘I think I’ve made that lady’s day,’ after spending time with Susan, another family member at the home. As the children were leaving, he made sure to say goodbye to Susan and give her a cuddle, something his teacher described as an especially touching moment, as showing affection and interacting so openly with others does not always come easily for him. 

The home also hosted a special VE Day themed party later in the afternoon, with Union Jack decorations, themed cakes, hats and tableware, while members of the team dressed in utility-style clothing and kerchiefs for the occasion. A reminiscence area was created using wartime books, a rotary phone and a typewriter, giving family members the opportunity to look at, touch and interact with recognisable objects from the past which may evoke a sense of connection or recognition.

Isaac, who is ten years old and the grandson of Home Manager Gayle, also spent time at the home speaking with family members about their experiences of the war. Peter, a family member at the home, enjoyed talking to Isaac about rationing during the war, including sugar, meat, butter and clothing, helping him understand what life was like then.

Isaac has been visiting the home since he was just a few months old and continues to enjoy spending time with family members there!

Intergenerational visits like these can be meaningful for both older and younger generations. For older generations, spending time with children can encourage moments of conversation and connection. Talking about things like wartime memories, may help support reminiscence and reinforce a sense of identity and personal history.

For children, visits to care homes can help build understanding of ageing and living with Dementia in a more personal and compassionate way. And rather than learning about history only through books, they are able to hear from people who lived through significant moments in time, helping bring those experiences to life while also encouraging empathy and confidence connecting with older generations.

Bringing children into the home can also help family members feel part of the wider community and younger generations, while creating opportunities for shared experiences, conversation and connection.

Home Manager Gayle shared about the day, ‘It was just amazing. Seeing everyone’s happy faces. Everybody just loved it.’

Edenmore Nursing Home offers 24-hour nursing and residential care by the North Devon coast. 

To learn more about life at Edenmore, visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com

Hatherleigh Nursing Home Marks 81st Anniversary of VE Day

Hatherleigh Nursing Home near Okehampton marked the 81st Anniversary of VE Day with their own street party, celebrated in the home’s large Belvedere Household dining area for friends, relatives and family members (residents).

Administrator Tamsin and Sandra, a relative of the home, decorated the space with Union Jack bunting and flags, while tables were set and laid in a red, white and blue colour scheme, topped with themed plates and fanned napkins. The bright colours, decorations and flags to hold and wave gave plenty to look at, touch and interact with as everyone immersed themselves in the celebration.

Kitchen team members Faye, Gurjeet and Sophie prepared a buffet-style spread with an array of party food and “nibbly bits” in true English fashion, which wouldn’t be complete without a selection of cream cakes and scones.

Family members and loved ones also enjoyed a live performance from the home’s regular musical entertainer, Ben Mackenzie, with many singing along to old favourite songs and joining in throughout the afternoon.

Hatherleigh Nursing Home’s VE Day celebration was also the final event held in the Belvedere Lounge before the space undergoes a refurbishment. Speaking about the decorations, the team joked: “We’re having a refurb now, so it meant we could cello tape as much to the walls and ceilings as possible before our new dining room!”

The event was held in recognition of both past and present veterans connected to Hatherleigh Nursing Home, while bringing people together to reflect, reminisce and enjoy British traditions associated with VE Day together.

If you would like to learn more about Hatherleigh Nursing Home, please visit: https://www.hatherleighnursinghome.com/lifes-journey-continued-2/