News
New Admiral Nurse service opens in North East Essex
Admiral Nurses in Medway celebrate 10 years!
The People's Health Trust Award
A Day in the Life of an Admiral Nurse
New Admiral Nurse service comes to North Essex
A new Admiral Nurse service opened to referrals on 9 February 2012.
The areas covered are: Epping Forest, Harlow, Chelmsford, Maldon, Colchester, Tendring, Braintree and Uttlesford
The pilot, run by North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (NEPFT) , in partnership with Dementia UK, employs six Trust staff. The local PCT has provided funding for one year.
The service will be offered to carers of people with a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of dementia living in the Trust's catchment's area. Carers can refer directly to the service or through a health care professional.
Victoria Lyons, Dementia UK Pioneer said:
"We are delighted that the Trust has committed to offering families living with dementia the chance to receive this specialist service. We are working closely with the Admiral Nurses in post to ensure that this service is a success."
Andrew Geldard, Chief Executive for the Trust said:
"We talk about living with dementia and that means everyone. This service provides help and support to the carers. We're proud to pilot this service here in Essex and know it will be a great success."
Contact details for the North Essex Admiral Nurse service:
Old Ivy Chimneys
Hatfield Road
Witham
Essex
CM8 1EN
Tel: 01376 302714
Fax: 01376 302701 (Reception)
Admiral Nurses in Medway celebrate 10 Years!
Admiral Nurses and those working in dementia services in Medway gathered at All Saints Church Hall in Frinsbury last week to celebrate the service's 10th birthday.
The event celebrated 10 years of the Admiral Nurse service but also provided the opportunity to highlight the work they do together with other services (such as Age Concern Chatham, Alzheimer's and Dementia Family Support (ADFS), St Nicholas Day Centre, and Wisdom Hospice Palliative Team, to name a few) in Medway to help people live better with dementia.
Admiral Nurses are mental health nurses specialising in dementia. They work with family carers and people with dementia, in the community and other settings and seek to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their carers. The aim is to help people live positively with the condition and develop skills to improve communication and maintain relationships.
Joan Devenny, an Admiral Nurse who works in Medway said:
"Families are at the heart of our work. The celebration event is not only about celebrating 10 years of Admiral Nursing - it's about celebrating our partnerships with other great services working in Medway. We're all in this together -- doing our best to work alongside families to help them through their dementia journey.
It's about a coordinated and cooperative response to people's needs, working alongside families and other professionals to provide that seamless, person-centred care that makes all the difference for someone with dementia and their carers."
The positive impact of the service
The impact the service has on those who have family members with dementia was summed up by Sheila, who cares for her father who has dementia:
"The Admiral Nursing Service is unique in its ability to give emotional and practical support in a way that no one else provides."
Another carer, Isabel, was also quick to praise the team's work:
"My Admiral Nurse helped me to realise that I could not continue to care for my husband as I was totally exhausted and facing a breakdown."
Pictured: L to R: Wendy Weidner, Dementia UK Pioneer Medway; Mike Warner, Admiral Nurse, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells; Joan Devenny, Admiral Nurse, Medway; Phil Smith, MCA Lead Safeguarding Team; Barbara Stephens, Chief Executive Dementia UK; Steve Mason, Admiral Nurse, Medway; Jacqui Wharrad, Dementia UK Pioneer for the South East.
Admiral Nurses are employed by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust and Dementia UK work in partnership with the NHS providers and commissioners, social care authorities and voluntary sector organisations to promote and develop new Admiral Nursing services. The charity is responsible for upholding standards, sustaining service and supporting Admiral Nurses in practice.
The People's Health Trust awards Dementia UK £60,000 for a new Admiral Nurse post
We are very pleased to announce that the People's Health Trust has awarded Dementia UK £60,000 to fund a new Admiral Nurse post in Kent. This new specialist dementia nurse post will be established in partnership with the Avante Partnership.
Using money raised through the local Health Lottery, the People's Health Trust - the independent charity responsible for administering the money raised - awards grants to local good causes and projects that help create healthier environments and communities.
Jacqui Wharrad, Dementia UK Pioneer for the South East, who was presented with the cheque, says:
"As well as the distress felt by the person with dementia - which can affect anyone from any background and of any age - the impact on family carers and loved ones is immense. Admiral Nurses provide a lifeline to all those affected by this complex and distressing condition.
Admiral Nurses are specially trained dementia nurses who provide essential support and practical advice to family carers. We are delighted to be awarded this grant from the People's Health Trust as we are now able to establish a new Admiral Nurse post in Kent in partnership with Avante Partnership.
We are very much looking forward to working with Avante Partnership to bring this specialist support to more families affected by dementia in Kent. This partnership also means that we'll be able to share best practice, skills and knowledge with more health and social care professionals."
Richard Macintyre, Operations Manager, Practice Development at Avante Partnership says:
"This is a marvellous opportunity to work in partnership with Dementia UK to provide an Admiral Nurse to support our carers and service-users"
The process of establishing the new Admiral Nurse post will begin immediately.
A day in the life of an Admiral Nurse
"The most rewarding part of my role is to see family carers and people with dementia improve because of my input"
Sue Ashcroft-Simpson, Team Leader of the Manchester Admiral Nurses, gives an account of a Day in the Life of an Admiral Nurse in the July 2011 edition of the Memory Services National Accreditation Programme (MSNAP) Newsletter.
Read the article here