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Our Admiral Nursing Service
Younger People with Dementia is passionate about supporting the gaps in provision for younger people with dementia. The Admiral Nursing service in Berkshire has been in operation for the past nine years and has clearly demonstrated that this bespoke service prevents families from hitting crisis point and reduces residential care admissions for the person with dementia. Our Admiral Nursing service in Surrey Heath, Farnham and NE Hampshire was launched in 2023 due to the success of the position in Berkshire.
What is an Admiral Nurse?
Many years ago, the family of Joseph Levy expressed their concern at the lack of support for families caring for somebody with dementia. Joseph was diagnosed with dementia and following his death the family launched a national charity with the aim of developing nurses who were employed to support families from diagnosis to “whenever they were needed”. Joseph Levy was known as “Admiral Joe” and today there are over 300 Admiral Nurses across the country supported by Dementia UK.
What is the need for an Admiral Nurse?
Families living with a person who has a young onset dementia can bring significant stress and pressure for relatives who have to adjust to taking on the role of carer. Studies show that many carers experience anxiety and depression. Staying well whilst navigating changes in relationships and roles can feel overwhelming.
Living well, staying safe, keeping a sense of purpose, planning for the future and connecting with others are important and the Admiral Nurse can help with this, whether your circumstances are adjusting to a recent diagnosis, or changes as the illness progresses.
Families who care for somebody with dementia often need support to come to terms with diagnosis, managing the care of the person with dementia and in most cases finding ways of coping and working with the person with dementia to maintain some quality of life.
What will the Admiral Nurse do?
The Admiral Nurse will meet with you in your own time. Firstly, they will work alongside you to complete a nursing assessment to understand your needs as a carer and following this, they will work with you to help address and support those identified needs. Support provided is not time bound and often the nurse can work with you for many years, dependent on the individual circumstances.
The Admiral Nurse works closely with other members of the YPWD team, local Mental Health Teams, Memory Clinics and Social Care Teams where appropriate.
Nationally there are estimated to be at least 70,800 younger people with dementia which means 92 in every 100,000 of the population are living with young onset dementia.
How do I get referred to the Admiral Nurse?
Most referrals are generated by Social Prescribers, Community Mental Health Teams, Dementia Link Advisors and the carers themselves via self referrals. However, referrals can come from any source. If you would like further information regarding this, please contact the Admiral Nurse directly on the contact details provided below.
If you are reading this as a carer for someone who has a diagnosis of young onset dementia and feel this support might be valuable, please fill in the self-referral form.
If the person in your family has not yet received a diagnosis and you suspect there may be a problem, we recommend requesting a memory assessment with your GP.
If you have any cause for concern regarding dementia symptoms, it is always a good idea to make an appointment with your GP. Speaking with a doctor early on can reduce any anxieties you have and provide you with answers.
Our Admiral Nurse in Surrey Heath
We are excited to introduce our new Admiral Nurse in Surrey Heath, North East Hampshire and Farnham, Tracey Adey!
“My name is Tracey Adey and I’m the Admiral Nurse supporting families living with young onset dementia within the Surrey Heath, North East Hampshire, and Farnham area.
I’ve worked within dementia assessment and care for over 20 years and previously worked as a Young Onset Dementia Admiral Nurse, setting up and building the service in East Berkshire. My aim is to offer education, practical and emotional support to families living with the challenges of young onset dementia.”
Our Admiral Nurse in Berkshire West
In the West of Berkshire, our Admiral Nurse is Lizzie Harrison.
“My name is Lizzie Harrison and I am the Admiral Nurse for Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire. After the successful build up of the Admiral Nurse service from scratch, with the support of the YPWD team and Dementia UK, I very much hope to continue to develop the service to support the needs of families and loved ones living with young onset dementia.”
Lizzie has worked supporting people in this position since 2013.
You can contact Lizzie via email or telephone.
Our Admiral Nurse in Berkshire East
Our Admiral Nurse in East Berkshire is Elain McEvilly. She supports families in Bracknell, Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead and Slough.
“My name in Elaine McEvilly and I have 40 years of experience working within the NHS as a general nurse with a speciality in district nursing. This has involved supporting and caring for patients living with dementia and their families. It also involved managing the complexities of the situations around this.
I am here to support, guide and facilitate families of people with YPWD, with physical, psychological and emotional intervention. One of my goals is to improve the quality of life for the families of those supporting an individual living with young onset dementia.”
Donate to Younger People with Dementia
£30 a month will provide twelve hours of an Admiral Nurses time to support a family affected by young onset dementia. Younger People with Dementia relies on voluntary donations to continue to provide our vital support services to families living with young onset dementia. We couldn’t do what we do without you.