The team at a Sutton care facility that helps people with brain injuries and progressive neurological disease has been nominated for a national award.

Cygnet Lodge, on Sandown Road, is a finalist at the Palliative Care Awards 2024 in the Care Team – Residential and Nursing category.

It is in recognition of the end-of-life support given to a man diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a rare neurological condition.

Staff at the Cygnet Health Care service supported him through the physical and mental deterioration associated with the disease, a rare inherited condition that causes copper levels to build up in several organs, especially the liver, brain, and eyes.

Sarah Ashworth-Watts, principal forensic psychologist at Cygnet Health Care, who helped to oversee the care, said: “This nomination is reflective of all of the hard work, care, and compassion shown by Cygnet Lodge staff.

“It was an experience, and a team, I was proud to be part of.

“Care for this individual took a lot of teamwork from across all disciplines, especially in a field that’s not the usual day to day, and might be outside of people’s comfort zones.”

The awards aim to pay tribute to those who provide high-quality, person-centred, end-of-life, and palliative care.

The Care Team category celebrates outstanding teamwork in support of people facing the end of their life in a social care or hospice setting, and recognises exceptional teams who have made a real impact in improving the overall quality of life for individuals facing serious illness.

Average life expectancy for those with Wilson’s disease is 40 and the Cygnet Lodge team supported the man for more than a decade before he died — drawing on their individual specialist expertise across a range of fields, including psychiatry, nursing, psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietician, and support workers.

Stevie Lambert, a mental health nurse at Cygnet Lodge, who helped to deliver the care, added: “We made sure he had a person-centred care plan and that his care package was the very best it could be.

“The patient was able to express his wishes and the entire staff built a rapport with him. We became his family and we were able to respect what he wanted.

“Normally in a care home, we want to promote independence and improve people’s lives. We knew unfortunately this person was going to die and we wanted to make that as dignified as possible.

“I feel we did that and made his final days, and hours, as comfortable and peaceful as they could be.

“As challenging as it was at the time, it was rewarding and an honour to care for him.”