September is World Alzheimer’s month. Worldwide, there are nearly 50 million people living with dementia, with over 900,000 living in the UK, and that figure is predicted to rise to 1.6 million by 2040 (Alzheimer's Society).
Over the last two years I was lucky enough to work as an Admiral Nurse for the Royal British Legion. Admiral Nurses are dementia specialist nurses that support families affected by all forms of dementia. Admiral Nurses come from a variety of backgrounds and experience, and can be RMN’s, RN’s and RNLD’s. They work in a variety of settings, including being community based, hospital based, in clinics, and on helplines. The role of an Admiral Nurse was created by the charity Dementia UK, who then work with ‘host’ organisations to place and train the nurse. The Royal British Legion provide support for serving and ex-serving members of the armed forces and their families, this can either be the person living with dementia or their carer.
My role was community based, visiting people in their homes or providing telephone support nationally for those who may not live near a local nursing team. Referrals into the service can be made by anyone, many come from the local Alzheimer’s Society support workers, the local NHS memory clinics, and also a number of self-referrals from people who are aware of the service and feel they need some extra support. Admiral Nurses will support when there are complex needs, holistically assessing the carer and the person living with dementia. The necessary support will then be provided and can entail providing education and guidance on how to care for someone with dementia, practical advice, emotional and psychological support, and also helping to access support from other organisations.
As a community-based Admiral Nurse, I would work with my designated caseload, and build therapeutic relationships with the carers. The carers know that there is someone for them to turn to when they need a shoulder to cry on, when they need advice, or when they just need to let off some steam. Every day is different, and every visit or phone call to a carer brings different scenarios and challenges for you to support them with. Its such a rewarding feeling when you look back at the carers situation when they were first referred into the service, and then compare to a few months of having support from an Admiral Nurse and the confidence and general well-being the carer now has, whether that’s because they’ve had education and practical tips for how they can support their loved one, or perhaps because the Admiral Nurse has supported them in a successful application for respite help or a regular package of care. Its empowering to know that with the support of an Admiral Nurse, the carer can support the person living with dementia to remain independent and living it at home for longer than if no Admiral Nurse support was available.
A month ago, I moved on from my role as an Admiral Nurse to take on a new challenge, but I am so grateful for all the opportunities I had while working in that role. I learnt so many skills to support carers and people living with dementia that I am able to take into my new role in the local acute hospital, and I’ve already been able to run three teaching sessions with my team sharing skills and practical support for supporting people living with dementia and their carers when they are in hospital.
