Admiral Nurses join Memory Clinic team at North Tyneside Hospital
Admiral Nurses specialise in dementia and will support newly diagnosed patients and their carers.
Michael Rutherford, Clinical Team Lead for North Tyneside Memory Clinic, and Admiral Nurses Kirsty de Bono-Hume and Betty Lucas
Submitted by Jake Rusby
Patients who attend a local memory clinic are set to benefit from the help of an 'Admiral Nurse' who will support the patient with their dementia diagnosis.
Admiral Nurses help those living with dementia and their loved ones, giving them the chance to ask questions and feel supported, rather than being given information booklets.
Memory Clinics at North Tyneside General Hospital in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, have brought in the nurses who specialise in the condition.
The nurses are part of Age UK's North Tyneside team and are introduced to newly diagnosed patients as soon as they receive their diagnosis. Patients and carers can reach out to their nurses any time. The service has become crucial during the pandemic.
Nurses offer practical advice as well as emotional and psychological support. They can also help with referrals to other services and liaise with health and social care professionals to ensure patients and carers receive the best care possible.
Carers are also offered respite through three wellbeing centres in North Shields, Wallsend and Killingworth, Tyne and Wear.
Age UK North Tyneside’s Lead Admiral Nurse, Betty Lucas, said: “Our referrals have gone up in this past year, especially during the second lockdown. Now is arguably a more important time than ever for people living with dementia, and their carers, to receive our support.
“There are extra challenges for carers at the moment - for example the family member they care for might not understand what is happening with Covid-19.
“Also, people are more isolated – support networks that might normally be there, now may not be. We provide that extra support to the people who really need it, which is especially important at this time."
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