Jenny’s epic 26-hour journey to keep her home care client safe and warm
When a routine drive turned into a 26-hour ordeal on a frozen highway, HammondCare carer Jenny Ruming stepped up with calm, compassion and remarkable ingenuity to keep her dementia client safe, warm and reassured throughout a major police siege.
A HammondCare Home Care worker has received a top honour after going above and beyond to protect a client living with dementia during a freezing, hours-long standstill on the New England Highway caused by a major police operation.
Specialised carer Jenny Ruming, 65, from Scone, was driving her client, Dian Synnott, and Dian’s twin sister and carer, Evelyn, both 85, home from an orthopaedic appointment in Tamworth on August 1 when they became trapped in a seven-hour traffic block just north of Murrurundi in the Upper Hunter.
Between them, the trio had only a few bottles of water, six leftover chicken nuggets, and Jenny’s supply of chewing gum to get them through.
Showing quick thinking, Jenny improvised a private roadside toilet for Dian using a walking frame and PPE, ensuring she remained comfortable and respected while cars sat motionless for kilometres in both directions.
When police eventually instructed drivers at 10pm to turn back to Tamworth, Jenny organised accommodation and meals with support from the HammondCare Home Care Scone team, led by Syl Eastwood.
By the time Jenny’s Mazda CX-30 finally rolled back into Aberdeen the following day around lunchtime, the journey had lasted 26 hours.
Jenny was presented with a HammondCare Mission in Action award on November 19 for her steady, thoughtful handling of an incredibly difficult situation.
The gridlock was sparked when Hunter Valley Police District officers responded to reports of an alleged domestic violence incident at a property on Mayne Street, Murrurundi. A 41-year-old man was arrested and charged after a 13-hour standoff.
Jenny, who has supported Dian for the past two years, remembered reassuring the sisters throughout the ordeal. “I told them we were safe, and that nothing bad was going to happen. We just needed to wait it out,” she said.
The three passed the long hours chatting, spotting shapes in the clouds, and listening to the radio for any news. At one point, Evelyn misplaced her dentures in the backseat, sparking laughter as everyone searched for them. Dian, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease, occasionally became confused and thought they were travelling by train.
Evelyn said she and her sister were thrilled that Jenny had been recognised. “She’s such a genuinely caring person,” Evelyn said. She added that although Dian was officially the client, “Jenny was looking after me as well.”
HammondCare Executive General Manager Home Care Marcela Carrasco said Jenny’s dedication and practical problem-solving showed what Mission in Action truly means.
“Her steady and compassionate manner turned what could have been a frightening, exhausting experience into something safe, reassuring and even uplifting,” Ms Carrasco said.
