I qualified in 2009 as a Clinical Psychologist. After completing my doctorate at Surrey University, I began working on a joint venture with Hammersmith and Fulham Council and Imperial College. We set up the first memory assessment clinic in the UK. This model is now widely used in all NHS Trusts, and I feel hugely proud of making the diagnosis process quick, efficient and available to all those worried about cognitive decline. Most memory assessment diagnostic clinics around the UK are based on this initial model.

I subsequently set up the Dementia Support Service offering support to older people with cognitive and communication decline, living in care homes in South London. Through this service I started working with the Wohl Wing when it first opened at Nightingale House. In many ways I have come full circle. One of the reasons I wanted to return to Nightingale Hammerson is because I love the ethos of the organisation. I am impressed with how invested the community is in providing an inclusive perspective for older people in our society. I come from a culture where we respect and value older people. Aging is a privilege to me; older people are part of our community and society and need to be treated with dignity and grace.

I specialise in older people and what mental health difficulties look like as we age. My aim is to ensure people living with a degenerative disease or post stroke can still live fulfilling lives alongside their physical and mental ailments.

As well as my part time post at Nightingale Hammerson, I am also the Deputy Course Director for the Psychology Apprenticeship Masters Programme at UCL and a lecturer on their Doctorate course. My expertise and research are based on the psychology of aging and aging well.

Due to my work at UCL, I am able to bring a research perspective and Clinical Psychology Trainees into the Homes. Nightingale Hammerson is the first care organisation of its kind to employ a Clinical Psychologist. My aim is to build a robust and evidence-based model of psychological care for older people living in a care setting. We hope to pave the way and highlight how good care can be delivered as we get older.