SAVIOURS OF Join us in raising money to fund nurses for stricken patients and their families
TODAY the Sunday Express joins forces with Dementia UK to help fund a new team of nurse angels. Britain desperately needs more specialist nurses to care and support people living with dementia and their families. More than 850,000 people have the condition yet only 276 specialist community nurses are being funded across the nation.
The drastic shortage is putting a huge strain on efforts to keep people at home and families together as they deal with the traumatic fall-out from a diagnosis.
Experts believe that Admiral Nurses – highly-skilled and experienced dementia nurses – can save the NHS a fortune and offer a lifeline for families hit by the confusion and distress of watching a loved one suffer.
The charity says Christmas holidays can be the most poignant time of year, when families notice that loved ones may be exhibiting signs of dementia.
Admiral Nurses staff Dementia UK’s helpline, giving urgent advice and information. Only 10 nurses staff the line each day but the charity hopes that more nurses will increase the number of calls it can handle. Half of Admiral Nurses work for and are paid by the NHS but their training is funded by Dementia UK. The other half work within charities or for locally-organised services.
“It is heartbreaking to see how dementia changes a person and impacts their family,” said Dr Hilda Hayo, chief Admiral Nurse and CEO of Dementia UK, which runs Admiral Nurses. “Admiral Nurses make a huge difference at what is a devastating time for families and we want that support to be available as wide as possible. The calls and case loads rise over Christmas because it is a time when families spend more time with each other and notice the changes that may have been going on for some time.
“A diagnosis is distressing but our help can save a family which is why we are launching a fundraising appeal to help as many people as possible.”
“Our nurses offer practical support and counselling as there are complex feelings involved. Partners can feel guilt and anger that they are not able to care for their loved ones and sometimes they just can’t cope – they can’t cope with the person because of their care needs but they can’t cope without them either. It can be awful.”
Dementia UK set up the scheme to provide extra support for people and most Admiral Nurses work in the community for the NHS, with more working in hospitals, hospices, care homes and other organisations. The number of people with the condition is expected to top one million by 2021.
Research by the London borough of Sutton showed that its one Admiral Nurse had saved £296,466 from its care budget in a year while South Norfolk with its three nurses saved £440,000 in nine months.
A lack of funding to train enough Admiral Nurses means some parts of the UK do not have the service. Only the helpline operates UK-wide. “It actually saves money as it delays or prevents people going into longer term care and it enhances their life so they are not in a distressed state which reduces visits to the GP or admissions