When Dad first went into the RAH we knew nothing about dementia and Ashlee was one of the first nurses to help settle Dad into Ward S8/Q8. What was unique about Ashlee was that she created a connection with Dad really quickly and gave us confidence in her care, and she taught us about handling dementia.
We used to bombard Ashlee with 100 questions every time we walked into the ward and we always received a friendly greeting and she would always fully brief us on Dad’s progress. As family members we are constantly hanging off every word the nurses tell us, as it was important for us to report any changes to Docs and Psychiatrists etc.
Ashlee exudes a quiet confidence and makes you feel like “everything will be ok on her shift”. This was very comforting for our family as we battled with some pretty bad behaviours and incidents. we were exhausted and could go home knowing that Dad was being well looked after.
12 months later when we had to return to the RAH in identical circumstances, the first person we saw in the ward was Ashlee, and she remembered Bob’s name, (and our entire family after all that time). Ashlee remembered Dad’s condition and methods to keep him calm and was able to handle him with ease.
So welcome to ‘Dementia Downunder’ Ashlee and on behalf of our family I want to say “Thank you for looking after us”….Take a bow! (centre in pic)
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