Throughout her career, Anna Pochron has remained firmly committed to working with special care and dementia services throughout aged care villages.
Pochron was born in Poland, where she was raised by her grandmother, affectionately known to her as Babcia, who she has credited for inspiring her career path. Pochron has worked in aged care facilities for several years; she has felt compelled to work in dementia units and help the most vulnerable of people.
She is the Clinical Manager at Ryman Healthcare’s William Sanders Village in Devonport, where her work with dementia patients has been highly regarded. Pochron described the unit as a joyful environment where the people are happy, and anything goes for conversation topics.
“My colleagues always know where to find me because if I’m feeling a bit stressed, I go in there and have a chat with the residents. For me, it’s always a joy,” said Pochron.
Pochron’s work as the Clinical Manager at Ryman Healthcare’s Edmund Hillary Retirement Village saw her recognised at Ryman’s annual awards in 2023, where she took home the coveted Nurse of the Year title.
Pochron said that the Nurse of the Year award was a significant event in her life and her career.
“I feel really honoured and privileged to have been recognised, nominated and chosen as a winner from the group of so many nurses working within Ryman.”
On a personal level, Pochron said she was bursting with happiness.
“I chose a nursing career many, many years ago and never in my wildest dreams had I thought about nominations and winnings. I just simply do my job, the fact that I love what I'm doing is an added bonus.”
She added that the residents within the unit cannot voice their opinions and cannot advocate for themselves. This is what drew her to work in the unit, as well as being able to improve the comfort of their lives and make their experience in the unit more cheerful.
Having good empathy is an essential part of Pochron’s work ethic. She makes it a point to see the situation from the patient’s perspective and understands how uncomfortable and confusing the experience must be. Pochron also understands that a dementia diagnosis will affect the whole family, and she takes great satisfaction in helping families understand and explore the best options for their loved ones.
“One lady I recall in particular, where the family was super anxious and worried because their mum had always said she would never want to live in a care environment, she basically walked right in and didn’t even look back. She was happy. She was drawn to the social activities and joined in everything every day. I see that a lot in residents who come in.”
Pochron added that this particular resident eventually found her own regime within special care and continued her daily hobbies like before. She said that it is important to let residents run their own day.
The move to a more relaxed approach to aged care, specifically dementia care, was a conscious move by Pochron and her team, as it has reduced potentially stressful situations and has allowed the unit to become a relaxed and homely environment.
She added that there can be an expectation from families surrounding washing and dressing, but the view of the unit’s team is to let the residents wake up when they want to wake up, eat breakfast when they would like to, and live their normal day-to-day life as they have.
The person-centred approach to care exercised by the unit has focussed primarily on the resident’s needs first rather than following a structured checklist. By focussing on what residents can do, the unit’s system makes the most of their remaining abilities whilst crafting a personalised support structure for each individual.
Pochron said that Ryman Healthcare is committed to exploring new ways to improve village environments for dementia units. Keeping residents engaged and occupied whilst enhancing their own life experiences has been an integral part of finding the right balance. Ryman Healthcare has commissioned the top experts in dementia research to carry out findings.
Topping the list is helping to reduce the stigma and improving education around dementia in the wider community. Ensuring team members have undergone specific dementia training has also been listed as a top priority.
Pochron said that it is always important to remember that there is a person behind the dementia, and a life behind that person.
“What they have done in their lives carries into their illness and their behaviours. You may have the same diagnosis, but everyone is different, and everyone’s journey with dementia is different.”
Pochron added that although there can be many sad and difficult scenarios that surround dementia diagnosis, there are also happy moments that can be cherished.
“As long as people are well looked after, and there is an understanding of what we’re doing, and there is kindness, then there is definitely more happiness. It’s about working with the resident, with the family and the staff and getting the best outcome for that person.”
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