History of the Charity

Dementia UK was officially registered as a charity in 1994 to take forward the development of Admiral Nursing.

The first Admiral Nurse service was piloted in Westminster in 1990 as an initiative inspired by the experiences of family carers. The Admiral Nurses were named in memory of Joseph Levy CBE BEM, who had vascular dementia and was known as ‘Admiral Joe' by his family and friends due to his love of sailing.

The charity has come a long way since its inception and now has in the region of 75 Admiral Nurses, specialists in dementia care, around the country. Admiral Nurses are partly funded by the National Health Service as they work within Primary Care Trusts. The charity has a helpline, Admiral Nursing DIRECT, provided by experienced Admiral Nurses, offering professional advice and support via email and telephone.

Uniting Carers began establishing a network of family carers in 2005, whose aim it is to contribute to the field of dementia care in a variety of ways, including research, education and training, writing for publication, campaigning and fundraising.

Dementia UK Training offers a range of courses for health and social care professionals delivered by approved trainers, all of whom are specialists in dementia or older people's care.