A nurse from Garden House Hospice Care has spoken about her job after becoming one of the first to administer the Covid jab at a Hitchin care home.

Maddie Kinnar, who along with her colleague Tanya Catton administered the first dose of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine to 48 residents and 30 staff at Elmside Residential and Dementia Care Home in our town this month.

The care home in Hitchin visited by Maddie and Tanya, Frailty Nurses at the Letchworth-based Hospice, is one of 17 nursing, care and learning disability homes in north Herts they offer support to.

Maddie said: "Our aim is to give frail residents and their families the opportunity to express their wishes and put clear plans in place, while avoiding inappropriate admissions to hospital.

"We also provide much needed support, education and advice to care home staff working in these busy and pressured environments.

"We're proud of the positive and productive relationships we've built with the staff.

"They feel reassured that there's always someone at the end of the phone they can call for any support and advice they need."

The team has also recently expanded with the arrival of a third frailty nurse, Annie King, which means the team can continue to be even more effective in the local community.

Aside from administering the vaccine, the Frailty Nurses at Garden House Hospice Care continue to offer support to homes across north Herts, assessing the needs of new and current residents to discuss their future care.

"We have a passion for the care of the elderly and count ourselves lucky to have this perfect role," Maddie explains, adding: "We've heard some incredible stories from people's lives and are constantly learning from our residents.

"Building special relationships and treating each person as an individual reminds you that they have a past - they have been a child, they have had careers, they may be a parent and have close friends.

"It's so important to recognise that they had a life before going into a home."