At 84, Daisy Richards is believed to be Britain’s oldest active nurse and she is still looking to continue her career. She recently won a bronze “Outstanding Service” medal and a gold for “Dignity in Care” award at the Wales Care Awards in Cardiff.
Richards, who became qualified in 1958, continues to work full-time at a dementia care facility in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. She is flexible enough to work three 12-hour shifts a week at the Fairways Newydd Nursing and Dementia Care Home, and is not bothered by the fact that some of the people she looks after are younger than she is.
The Llangefni native told BBC, “Every day I come to work; I enjoy my work; you have to. It is true I am looking after people younger than me, and I enjoy it.
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“Over the years, nursing has evolved; it has to, but some things remain the same and that includes how we look after people in care homes. It is their home, and we are there to help them, and that means the care has to be excellent.”
Her career started in the south of England, and in 1972 she relocated to Anglesey to work in a hospital in nearby Bangor. She first worked in Anglesey as a district nurse before transitioning into elder care.
Richards, however, has no intention of retiring anytime soon and desires to revalidate her nursing certificate next year.
The care home’s manager, Rebekah Charles, recommended her for the honor.
Charles stated, “Her approach reflects the values of an old-school matron, where she expects nothing less than excellence in care delivery, from the smallest details like bed-making to the overall organization of medication administration.”
She added, “Daisy’s dedication to high standards sets a benchmark for the entire team, ensuring residents receive care of the utmost quality.”
Meanwhile, Richards is still shocked after winning the award. “I’m still in a state of shock at getting the gold award; to be honest, I still don’t think it has registered,” adding how “difficult” it was to acknowledge the award as something she had achieved.
“I just go to work, do my work and do my best. I suppose it will take me a while to come to terms with getting the award,” she reiterated.
