QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department is working with reduced space, which may lead to delays for those with less urgent concerns. Learn more here.
Starting Saturday, December 14, the entrance to the QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department will change to 1840 Bell Road. Learn more.
Debbie Hannam is a registered nurse with Seniors Mental Health in Nova Scotia Health’s Western Zone. With a 50-year career under her belt, she says she’s well past retirement age and jokes that her last morning of work will come right before the afternoon of her funeral.
“It helps, I think, working with a good team, doing a job you really like,” says Debbie, who is part of a “small, tight-knit team of two geriatric psychiatrists, two nurses and a social worker who work very well together, respecting and utilizing each other’s strengths.”
She explains, “We are a community-based program designed to assess, diagnose and treat new onset mental health conditions and the unique needs of older adults, by working with the seniors, families and caregivers.”
“I understand seniors, adds Debbie. “I understand not being able to do the things you’ve done before.”
Debbie learns a lot about new clients through the roughly 90-minute intake process, conducted over the phone. She tries to get a better sense of who they are, not only as a client, but as a whole person. She and the team encourage seniors to bring a loved one with them to their appointment. “You make really good connections with families. That allows me to decide what sort of educational opportunities we can use, what kind of counselling. Families feel comfortable to contact you if there’s something happening or if they have a concern.”
Tyler Meldrum, Debbie’s RN colleague, says, “Debbie is the team leader and backbone of the Seniors Mental Health team in the Western Zone. She never places a time limit on her interactions with her clients, and this is evident in the way they speak about her. If a client has a need, Debbie will find a resource, a connection or a plan. I have seen her help people who were out of catchment because navigating the system is confusing. There will never be another Debbie and she deserves to be honoured.”
Debbie began her nursing career working in a small rural hospital in Annapolis Royal. Here, she covered emergency, medical/surgical patients and labour and delivery. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury at work that meant she could no longer practice hospital nursing. She was devastated.
She retrained in computer programming and taught adult education in this field before being offered a position working with a progressive physician as a community-based nurse. “This was an unheard-of position in our area in the mid-1980s,” she shares. Debbie did prenatal and well-baby visits and helped families adapt to their new life. Best of all, she was again providing education and emotional support. “I was back in nursing doing what I loved.”
Debbie later returned to university and graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2009, with certification in Community and Gerontological Nursing. This eventually led to her current position in Seniors’ Mental Health. This work has come with many rewards.
“I feel I am still able to make a difference in people’s lives, to help people appreciate themselves for the life they have lived and are living. I may not be able to fix the problem, but I can support an individual or their loved ones through difficult times and help them navigate through the many new resources available in our communities.”
She sums up her philosophy of life and work by saying, “Life is a journey. How and what we learn helps us move along life’s path and hopefully these lessons can be shared with others to help them do the same.”
“People in my community continue to ask, ‘Are you still working?’” says Debbie. Her response? “Yes, I may be long past retirement age, but I am not past feeling I can make a difference by helping others.”