Celebrating Compassion and Excellence: Alison Forster Finalist for Inaugural Palliative & End of Life Care Awards

We are proud to announce that Alison Forster, Registered Manager ILS-Maidenhead, was shortlisted a finalist for the inaugural Palliative & End of Life Care Awards. This nomination recognises Alison and her team’s exceptional dedication to providing compassionate and culturally sensitive end-of-life care. The team made efforts to ensure the religious practices were upheld for one particular individual, such as wearing Sari’s and saying an Arabic prayer. When the person passed away the cremation took place within 24-hours, with the person moved to the mosque in a timely manner. 

The Maidenhead Independent Living services are not a specialist end of life care service, yet the team have ensured that they do all they can to support people and their families in a compassionate and caring manner at the end of their lives, working with partner agencies to make individuals as comfortable as they can be. An example of some of the adjustments the team put in place to support people's families, included making a separate entrance available for a parent to be able to visit spend time with the person and stay overnight.

In a recent example of the team’s care they supported a person through their end of life. Kirsty Skrzypczak, Governance & Quality Assurance Manager explains “Led by Alison, the whole team demonstrated outstanding care; the staff communicated with family members throughout. Alison worked with staff and family to plan events to celebrate the person's life, inviting the family back at a later date to participate in services, such as planting a tree in the person's memory and releasing balloons.”

Kirsty continues “Staff were exceptionally caring and compassionate, working hard to communicate fully with those needed, and showing respect with individual rituals, cultures and practices. Alison also supported staff exceptionally well, and in turn the team supported the family, who spent time with their loved one before, during and after the death of their relative.”

Alison adds, "This nomination empowers our staff teams, enforcing the importance of the job that we do. Our customers are our drivers and whilst it is a privilege to enable them to live their best lives, it is an honour to be part of their final Journey."

Congratulations to Alison and her team for being shortlisted.