What is an Admiral Nurse?
Admiral Nurses are specialist nurses who provide the specialist dementia support that families need. When things get challenging or difficult, Admiral Nurses work alongside people with dementia, their families and carers: giving the one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions people need, and that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
Admiral Nurses are continually trained, developed and supported by the charity, Dementia UK. Families that have their support have someone truly expert and caring by their side – helping them to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.
How did we come to have an Admiral Nurse in the Sid Valley?
In 2014 the Sid Valley Memory Café, faced with declining local support services for families living with dementia, decided to try to do something to help them. After much discussion, it was decided that an Admiral Nurse would provide much needed support to these families.
After speaking with Dementia UK who manage Admiral Nurses here in the UK, we launched a campaign with the support of the Sidmouth Herald to raise £100,000 to cover the costs of an Admiral Nurse for the first two years. Following amazing support from the local community and our Town Council, and grants from several organisations, we reached our target in mid 2016, and our Sid Valley Admiral Nurse started in post in the Spring of 2017.
How can you access the Admiral Nurse?
As a specialist nurse, the focus of the Admiral Nurse role is on supporting families with complex needs – particularly where family carers require guidance through transitions, loss and changing relationships and where carers are struggling to cope in their caring role.
The Admiral Nurse works holistically, addressing both the physical and mental health needs of the carer and the person with dementia. In order to access this service, a referral will need to be made by your Sid Valley GP.
For those whose needs are less complex, the Alzheimer’s Society’s Devon Dementia Support Service can provide information and advice. This service can be accessed by calling 0300 123 2029 (Monday to Friday, 9-5pm).