Dementia UK

Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and can be devastating. It can rob someone’s memory, personality, and ability to communicate. The toll on families can be enormous – emotionally, physically, and financially – watching their loved one deteriorate over time.

Admiral Nurses

Dementia UK provides specialist dementia support for families through their Admiral Nurse service. When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them, giving the compassionate one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions that can be difficult to find elsewhere. They are a lifeline - helping families to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on dementia care and support. NHS, social care, and community services have all been in short supply, and many have ceased entirely, leaving an immense backlog in dementia diagnosis and care management. People with dementia are left feeling bewildered, debilitated and extremely vulnerable.

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The dementia specialist Admiral Nurses can make all the difference. They support around 70,000 carers annually, including 27,624 people on their National Dementia Helpline in 2020 – a 34% increase, compared to the year before.

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The Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline ensures that anyone, anywhere in the UK, can access expert support and advice from a dementia specialist nurse.

Admiral Nurses take the time to listen; to get to understand each family’s unique situation. They can recognise the touchpoints that are causing the most stress; and they have the expertise and experience to suggest coping mechanisms or support networks to alleviate some of that pressure. For many carers, it can feel as though they are being listened to and understood for the very first time.

What will our funding support

The grant of £50,000 per year from The Openwork Foundation will fund a Dementia UK Helpline Admiral Nurse, Deborah Hutchinson. As a full-time Admiral Nurse, Deborah works four days per week on the Helpline and has one day for specific projects such as supporting campaigns or developing new resources for families. Deborah will provide the holistic and expert care that families need to cope with each of their own personal situations. Deborah works within a team of helpline nurses delivering vital care and support to make sure Dementia UK can provide this crucial care to as many people as possible.

Find out about

The Openwork Foundation

Through this partnership The Openwork Foundation hopes to help Dementia UK bring specialist dementia care closer to every family who needs it.

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