Two colleagues from a nursing home for people with dementia have completed a 13-mile trek in the Lake District and raised more than £800 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Nursing home manager Alina Kutraite and administration officer Janet Chick work for Rawreth Court, Rayleigh, which is run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. They took part in the Trek26 challenge on 4 July.
Alina said: “It was tough but I will definitely be doing it again next year! We met so many amazing people with so many different stories.
“I have been a registered nurse for ten years and I have spent most of my career working with people with dementia and seen the devastating effects this illness has on each person and their family and friends.”
“So I wanted to make a little contribution to support this charity, which does so much good work in research and support for people with dementia and their families.”
The trek took them on a hilly route following the Ullswater Way around Ullswater lake.
Janet said: “We were so thankful for the 19C overcast weather with light rain. The climbs were hard but the event was enjoyable.”
“I have worked at Rawreth Court for over ten years now and have experienced the devastation that dementia causes, but I’m thankful that I work with such a great team of people.”
“I find my job very rewarding and I am able to make a difference.”
About EPUT:
- EPUT has a vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care:Who we are – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
- The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
- While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
- Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
- A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
- EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk. We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- To read more about our priorities and commitments to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible, visit https://eput.nhs.uk/about-us/2023-2028-strategic-plan