Dementia Care, Admiral Nurse News and Update

In September 2012 I walked part of the Great Wall of China in support of Dementia UK, Admiral Nurses.
 

I recall my experiences, in words with photos, in the ebook 'Scaling the Dragon's Back' which is available from Amazon for Kindle at the new price of $2.99 or £1.99, that's less that the cost of a cup of coffee.  

Available on other formats from www.theendlessbookcase.com

                                                              

Or, help to develop the growth of the Admiral Nursing service, make a direct  donation to Dementia UK.

Why we need to help and support Dementia UK

• One in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia. And as life expectancy increases, more and more people will be affected.
• 225,000 people will develop dementia in the UK this year - one person every three minutes.
• Dementia is the leading cause of death for women in England and Wales
• There are more than 40,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 who have dementia.
• An estimated 670,000 family and friends act as primary carers to someone with dementia. They are likely to have higher than normal levels of stress and report higher levels of depression than carers of other older people.

What Admiral Nurses do

Admiral Nurses can support families from the point of diagnosis to post bereavement. They are able to work with families who have complex needs and provide specialist support and advice, giving families the knowledge to understand the condition and its effects, and the skills to improve communication and behaviours. They also provide specialist emotional and psychological support through periods of difficulty in the dementia journey when carers are under the most stress and in danger of suffering a breakdown e.g. at diagnosis; through physical and behavioural changes; moving a loved one into residential care; during end of life care and bereavement.

Living with the effects of dementia can have a significant negative impact on the families’ mental health and well-being. Admiral Nurses work with both the person living with dementia and the family carer, supporting family carers in the following ways by;

• Focusing on the needs of the family carer developing coping strategies.  
• Helping families better understand dementia developing skills to improve communication and cope with feelings of loss and bereavement as the condition deteriorates.

  The help and support of an Admiral Nurse is only a phone call away

Dementia UK runs a national helpline, Admiral Nursing Direct, that can be contacted on 0845 257 9406 or direct@dementiauk.org. It is open Monday to Friday, 9.15-4.45 and provides practical advice and emotional support for families living with the effects of dementia.

   History of Admiral Nurses

      Admiral Nurses were named in memory of Joseph Levy CBE BEM who had vascular dementia and was known as “Admiral Joe” by his family and friends due to his love of sailing. Joseph Levy’s family established the charity.