Living with dementia can be challenging and confusing. The person with the diagnosis might be worried about what they may have to face in the future. And the people around them might be unsure how best to support them, and where to turn for help. This is where Dementia UK comes in.
They are a UK charity dedicated to helping families face dementia with support from their specialist dementia nurses, known as Admiral Nurses. These nurses offer appointments for people who care for someone with dementia who has complex needs.
What is an Admiral Nurse?
Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses. Continually supported and developed by Dementia UK, they provide life-changing support for families affected by all forms of dementia – including Alzheimer’s disease.
They can give tailored health advice and emotional support and help build links with other health and care professionals. For many families, they can be a lifeline. Admiral Nurses work in local communities, including making home visits to families who meet the referral criteria. They also work in GP practices and NHS hospitals, care homes, and hospices. They staff the Dementia UK Helpline and virtual clinic, offering appointments by telephone or video call.
What do they do?
Admiral Nurse service appointments and visits give families affected by dementia the opportunity to seek specialist advice, support and clinical guidance, in confidence. Nurses have the skills, knowledge and experience to talk about:
- Practical tips and advice on caring for a loved one with dementia
- Coping strategies for families who are finding caring difficult
- Feelings of loss and grief
- Work/life balance when caring for someone
- Coping with complex issues such as false beliefs, distressed behaviour, and family conflict
- Managing changes in personality and behaviour
- Strategies to improve the carer’s mental and physical well-being
- Signposting to other local and national dementia support services
- Planning for the future and decision-making
- Transition into a nursing or residential home
- Support during and after a stay in the hospital
- Identifying risk and keeping the person with dementia safe
This list is by no means exhaustive. Every family living with dementia has its own unique circumstances. Admiral Nurses take the time to truly listen to each family’s situation, and suggest methods to deal with symptoms and coping strategies for the challenges dementia can bring.
To find out more about this service and what they can offer please visit their website below.
Who can access this service?
The Coventry, Rugby and Warwickshire North Admiral Nurse service is available to people with a confirmed or highly likely diagnosis of dementia and their family carers. The carer must be registered with a GP practice in Coventry, Rugby or Warwickshire North. The person with a confirmed or likely diagnosis of dementia must be experiencing complex needs (as below).
- The person with dementia has been admitted to the hospital in the past six months
- The person is at high risk of needing to go into the hospital because of their dementia
- The carer is struggling to understand the diagnosis of dementia and how it affects the person
- The carer is under significant stress and at risk of a breakdown
- The carer needs support with managing challenging behaviour in the person with dementia
- The family needs support with advance care planning
- The person with dementia and their carer disagrees about the person’s care and treatment
- The person with dementia is approaching the end of life
The person must also meet one or more of the following referral criteria:
- Significant difficulty for the person with dementia and/or their carer in accepting the diagnosis, which may result in psychological stress and affect their wellbeing
- Significant other physical or mental health conditions in the carer or the person with dementia, leading to the needs of the carer or person with dementia not being met
- Pre-existing or newly diagnosed mental health conditions which are being exacerbated by the caring role
- Changes in behavioural and psychological symptoms in the person with dementia resulting in carer stress, for example, agitation, disinhibited behaviour, and anxiety
- Complex family dynamics affected by the diagnosis
- Need for advance care planning (making plans for future care and treatment)
To be referred to this service, you can ask your GP to refer you, or you can even refer yourself using the referral form and contact details below.
What to do if you do not meet the referral criteria
If you do not meet the referral criteria for the Admiral Nurse service at this time but you have questions or concerns about dementia, Dementia UK can support you in other ways.
- Register for Dementia UK’s ‘Dementia: what next?’ online sessions, for information about living with the condition and what to expect after a diagnosis. Please visit dementiauk.org/dementia-what-next
- Speak to an Admiral Nurse on the free Helpline: call 0800 888 6678 (Monday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, every day except 25th December) or email helpline@dementiauk.org
- Book a phone or video appointment with an Admiral Nurse at a time to suit you: please visit Book a virtual clinic appointment - Dementia UK
You can also find advice and information about dementia, symptoms and coping strategies at Home - Dementia UK
Please be aware that as your needs and the needs of the person Dementia UK care for change, you may become eligible for the service. In this case, please contact your GP again or get in touch with the Admiral Nurse service directly.
Please note that they are not an urgent response service so cannot accept urgent or same-day referrals. If they are unable to support you at this time, they can signpost you to other local and national dementia support services that may be able to help.
To speak to a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse about any aspect of dementia contact them via:
Sources of support
Dementia UK produces leaflets on many different aspects of living with dementia, from practical guidance on finances and planning for the future to understanding symptoms such as sundowning, delirium, and false beliefs and delusions. Visit Information and support - Dementia UK to read, download or order these.
Text from image: Dementia UK Admiral Nurses Helping families face dementia. Dementia Specialist Admiral Nurse Service Coventry, Rugby and Warwickshire North. Life-changing advice and support for families affected by dementia. To find out how we can support you: call: 0300 303 3131, email: cwccg.crgpaadmiralnurses@nhs.net, opening hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. You can also contact the national admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline for support with any aspect of dementia: 0800 888 6678 or helpline@dementiauk.org (picture of admiral nurses: Annie Newman, Angela Furbank, Angela Douglas, Victoria McGrath, Vicky Morris, Sarah Lord. dementiauk.org Dementia UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1039404) and Scotland (SC 047429)