A new specialist dementia nurse and memory assessment support service launched in Chester and surrounding rural areas is in demand, with almost 50 families living with dementia receiving vital support.
The service, which aims to improve diagnosis rates and provide post-diagnostic support to families, is being provided by Dementia Resource Community in partnership with Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nurse charity.
Families in the community have been benefiting from the new Admiral Nurse service which offers expert guidance and practical solutions for those caring for a person with dementia.
Dementia is a huge and growing health crisis, with 944,000 people living with the condition in the UK – and this number is set to increase to 1.1m by 2030.
There is no cure for dementia, but there is care. Admiral Nurses are continually supported and developed by Dementia UK to provide life-changing support for families affected by all forms of dementia.
Admiral Nurses work in hospitals, GP practices and local community services to provide clinical, emotional and practical support that enables people to live more positively with dementia.
The service follows a successful pilot in Ellesmere Port and Neston which helped more than 700 families. The additional new service has been commissioned by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust and supports their Community Mental Health Teams.
Admiral Nurse Kim Griffiths will be leading the service, which covers the Chester area as well as towns and villages on the outskirts of the city, including Farndon, Frodsham, Handbridge and Tattenhall.
Kim said: “Being an Admiral Nurse is a very emotionally rewarding job and I feel privileged to be able to help families affected by dementia across Chester who need our support. Many families are very tired and find it hard to take a break and they are so glad to get the support and advice we offer.”
Further Admiral Nurses and Memory Assessment Nurses are being appointed in Cheshire. Admiral Nurse Laura Whitehead recently joined the team to cover the Cheshire East area and she will be joined later this month by a colleague covering Winsford. Applications are also open for an Admiral Nurse to join the Crewe team.
To find out more about the new service, families need to see their GP and ask for a referral via the local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in their area.