Nurses from Garden House Hospice Care have become amongst the first to administer the Covid vaccine after visiting residents at a Hitchin care home this month.

Tanya Catton and Maddie Kinnar, Frailty Nurses at the Letchworth-based Hospice, administered the first dose of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine to 48 residents and 30 staff at Elmside Residential and Dementia Care Home in Hitchin.

The home was one of 17 nursing, care and learning disability homes in north Herts they offer support to.

Tanya Catton, Frailty Nurse, explained: "It was fantastic to be able to administer the first dose of the vaccine to the residents and staff at Elmside.

"The occasion was very well organised, everyone was in good spirits and we can't underestimate the massively positive impact this will have on the residents.

"For them this will, in time, mean the start of more interaction with the outside world and their families, having been massively restricted during 2020.

"This is of particular importance for those patients with dementia."

She added that while many residents have adjusted to using electronic devices to communicate with loved ones, some patients with dementia have been unable to understand this, with the lack of physical contact then sadly leading to a quicker deterioration in their condition.

"The vaccination also provides a huge benefit for the care home staff and their families too, all of whom have been on the frontline," she said.

Having received training to administer the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine and Pfizer vaccine and with both now being rolled out, Tanya says the start of the vaccination process has benefits for her and Maddie as nurses too.

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.

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.

Vilawan Hawkes, Home Manager at Elmside, said: "Vaccination day was a very special day for all of us at Elmside. It was a day full of optimism and joy with the majority of our residents and staff receiving the first dose of the vaccine.

"We can now begin to imagine what life will be like as it slowly gets back to normal.

"Thank you to the NHS and thank you to Garden House Hospice Care for their involvement in this moment of history.

"A special thanks must go to Tanya and the Frailty Team who have been by our side throughout the pandemic providing support, giving us encouragement and helping us get through this difficult time."