Adebanke Ojedapo-Adeyemo

“I love older people.  I like to put a smile back on their faces”

Adebanke Ojedapo-Adeyemo, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Specialist mental Health Team for Older People discusses her role

Adebanke has worked for HPFT for over 6 years. She and her team provide short term support to older people who have a range of issues including: dementia, depression and schizophrenia. Some clients are seen from 4-6 weeks whilst those with more complex needs may be supported for 6-8 weeks. The aim is to help them regain their independence.

“Before I came to HPFT I used to work in care homes. There are so many older people in care and I thought ‘old age is part of life it’s not a disease so what can I do to make it better for them?’ ”

“Older people are living longer. Many never expected to get to 90. It makes them depressed to see themselves as older people. They need a lot of reassurance and support to help them come out of their shell. It’s about shifting their negative thinking to positive thinking. I help them to appreciate everything they have and to see that age is not a restriction on life.”

Sometimes Adebanke says that clients are often sad to see her go but she says to them “If I don’t see you again you are on my mind”. 

Adebanke says that she is continually learning and it’s one of the things she enjoys about her role:

“As I’m assessing my clients I’m learning. It makes me more self aware. Every day I reflect on what I’ve said to clients and how it would feel if it was said to me.” 

“I’m working with the best team - you can tick all the Trust’s values here.” Adebanke says.  “If I’m struggling with something I can go to my colleagues to sort it out. You cannot fault anybody. The managers are very supportive, the secretary’s always have a smile on their face and there is no hierarchy.”