Specialist nurses are here to help you

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/10/specialist-nurses-are-here-to-help-you

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Admiral Nurses are to people with dementia what Macmillan nurses are to those with cancer, and at times of great need and vulnerability they offer specialist, tailored, practical and psychological support. This can include liaising with other healthcare professionals on behalf of the family, or supporting them when tough decisions need to be made, such as moving a family member into residential care, or as end of life approaches. They provide what experts recognise as a gold standard of care, one that attends to both the medical and the emotional needs of patients and carers.

They were founded out of recognition of the pressure placed upon family carers and are named after Joseph Levy, a man who lived with vascular dementia and who loved sailing. Some of their most vital work is done when a person with dementia is admitted to hospital, which can be a distressing and bewildering time for them and their loved ones. Admiral Nurses can make hospital a less dislocating experience, for they recognise the importance of supporting hospital staff to care effectively for people with dementia, and provide ongoing training and coping strategies to empower staff to work confidently and effectively with their patients. At the same time, they recognise the expert knowledge of families, and include them in all aspects of the person’s stay in hospital.

Hilda Hayo, chief Admiral Nurse and chief executive of Dementia UK, the charity that provides the nurses and ensures their continuing high standards. applauded the trust for its foresight in the appointment. She said that “having Admiral Nurses in an acute hospital environment is proven to minimise the stress and distress that some patients with a diagnosis of dementia – and their family – feel when they are in a hospital environment”.

Often in hospitals, patients and carers don’t know who to turn to. Where there are Admiral Nurses in place, they can turn to them.