The 54-year-old is a primary care nurse for older people, commonly known as a frailty nurse, for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

The role is relatively new and was introduced due to the growing elderly population in north Cardiff.

GP surgeries in the area felt that it would be a valuable resource to have frailty nurses and support workers to help with their case loads.

As a result there are currently two nurses and two support workers based in North Cardiff Medical Centre which are funded by the surgeries themselves.

“We receive GP referrals for older, frailer patients who are struggling perhaps at home,” she said.

“They might be frequent callers to the GP, who may have lots of core morbidities or social problems or might need some support when a family member can’t assist them.

“We perform a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s needs and help to identify areas of their health that need attention and support.

“We also coordinate the patient’s health and social care needs by putting them at the centre of care.”

She added: “I love this job, I go and see people in their homes and it’s lovely to see them in control of their own destiny.

“We really listen to what patients have got to say and what matters most to them as well as doing their health checks, we do a check based on the comprehensive geriatric assessment.

“We look head to toe at the patient holistically and consult with families.”​

She said she finds the role “really rewarding” and feels very passionately about it.

“Many older people live precariously in their homes and if that’s how they choose to live, we try and support them to do that,” she added.

“We try our best to avoid hospital admissions for our patients. It’s not always possible but if they do get admitted we can try and get them back out quicker.

“There are some sad parts to our job. Many of our patients, because of their age, die. It’s something we get used to.”

As part of their varied role frailty nurses meet patients, find out their background, carry out a head-to-toe assessment, conduct an examination, review medication and find out how they are managing it.

They also talk about falls prevention, hydration, and how the patient can take part in social activities.

“Some may have care packages in place, some may have no help at all.

“Sometimes our patients just need someone to talk to. We’re always here to help.”

But she said the most rewarding part of the job was working with the patients and their families.

“We get lots of positive feedback, people saying ‘I don’t know what I’d have done without you’, that really makes me feel like we are making a huge difference to these people’s lives.

“I feel very proud and privileged to do this job.

“I was delighted to be nominated as a Health Hero. It was lovely for someone to take time out do something like this.”

By becoming a Health Hero, Christine will now receive a free treatment at the award-winning Park Plaza Hotel in Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

If you know an unsung hero who works or volunteers for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, you can nominate them for our Health Hero award by emailing mark.smith@mediawales.co.uk

Source: WalesOnline