Registered nurse and head of international care consultancy receives OAM

Registered nurse and head of international care consultancy Peter Bewert has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for “outstanding achievement and services” to the betterment of care for older persons.

To receive the accolade, recipients must be nominated by their peers, considered by an independent process and recognised by the nation. In Peter’s case, a group of people unknown to him placed the nomination, which was approved by the Australian government. The High Commission of Australia in England then informed him he would be invested in the Australian Honours Roll in the UK as a recipient of the award.

Upon hearing he had been awarded an OAM, Peter Bewert, Managing Director of Meaningful Care Matters, said: “I am honoured that people have regarded the work I have achieved in social care over the years to be significant enough to nominate me for an OAM. I went into denial, initially. All I’ve ever seen myself doing is my job and trying to be the best I can be alongside the brilliant people I work with both in Australia and the UK.

“This award is one that recognises and represents the achievements of so many people, not just me. It’s not about me, it’s about us. Titles and accolades don’t mean anything without action and that action doesn’t just come from just one person.”

Bewert decided to set up Meaningful Care Matters in 2019 to help bring back the “art and heart” of caring for people. His goal is to make the lived experience for older people in health and social care settings a more meaningful experience, by coming back to what matters — a culture of freedom, purpose and meaning.

“I’m a nurse at heart and always will be. I started nursing when I left school at the age of 15; fast-forward almost 30 years and have seen all different types of care — the good, the great and the indifferent. You feel outstanding care before you see it. It’s a feeling of being loved, content, secure, safe and free to be yourself. This is what the heart of care is about,” Bewert said.

Peter has helped care homes across the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada adopt The Butterfly Approach — a dementia model creating a person-centred care culture, where people are ‘free to be me’. It values emotional intelligence, domestic household living and the core belief that everyone living with dementia has a unique story that has meaning and matters.

During the pandemic, he also launched the Meaningful Connections Community platform to help offer individuals and care providers an opportunity to share, collaborate and debate issues impacting person-centred care cultures. He has also focused on supporting teams to adopt a wellness and feelings first approach to care, as well as individuals who are being supported in health and social care settings.