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Nominated by residents and colleagues


By Staff Reporter

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Lorraine Russell with her Care Assistant Of The Year award.
Lorraine Russell with her Care Assistant Of The Year award.

A PROFESSIONAL carer has won a national award for excelling in her field.

Lorraine Russell won the Care Assistant of the Year title for her work at Meadowlark Care Home, Mannachie Road, at the Renaissance Care Annual Awards in the Village Hotel, Edinburgh.

She said: "I was really shocked and surprised - I couldn't believe it! But once it had sunk in, I felt amazing and really proud."

Lorraine was presented with the accolade by Renaissance founder and chairman Robert Kilgour for the outstanding contribution she makes to caring for the elderly.

She said: "I'd never been to an event like it before. There were representatives of care homes from all over Scotland and a lot of nominees in different categories. I went with my youngest daughter Kayleigh Russell. We had a look at the venue before it started and noticed there was a red carpet, just like the Oscars! I really wasn't expecting it to be so formal ..."

Lorraine has worked at Meadowlark for seven years, was previously employed at Cathay Care Home on St Leonard's Road, but was originally a nursing auxiliary for 12 years at the Astley Ainslie community hospital in Edinburgh.

She moved to the area when she married her husband who was stationed at RAF Kinloss.

Earlier this year, managers at Meadowlark asked for residents, colleagues, relatives and partners to nominate staff members who go above and beyond to ensure the home is happy and safe place to live and work.

"There was a ballot box of sorts which you could vote in if you wanted to," explained Lorraine. "A resident told me he had put a complimentary letter about me in and a few of my colleagues admitted they'd voted for me to."

On the secret of her success, she added: "I enjoy talking to the residents, getting hands-on and helping them feel better. It is satisfying to engender the trust of people who previously don't know me.

"I'm just being myself when I treat people the way I would like to be treated: with respect. I do what I can to the best of my ability."

Meadowlark Care Home on Mannachie Road.
Meadowlark Care Home on Mannachie Road.


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