Admiral Nurses support carers of those with dementia and play a vital role in preserving and prolonging independent living for ex-serving personnel and their families.
They often encounter fear from carers that their loved one will be assessed, then removed and placed in residential care.
“There’s an army of dementia carers in the UK"
After an initial meeting with a carer, an Admiral Nurse agrees a plan of care, identifying areas where they need support.
This can often involve regular home visits, the aim being to support the family to live as independently and as well as they can.
Our key aim is to improve the carer’s quality of life
“We assess risks and gather what we need for individualised care plans,” explains Nicky.
“Carers may contact us when they’re struggling to cope with a sudden change in their loved one’s presentation or in their own circumstances.
“We equip them with the knowledge, skills and support to cope with their situation.”
Emotional and psychological support
“We want to offer emotional support – some people just need to offload – and give our clients some strategies to make them a better carer, and make the caring process a smoother and more effective one, so it’s less of a strain," adds Nicky.
“Our key aim is to improve the carer’s quality of life – which in turn will improve the life of their loved one.”
As a trained nurse, an Admiral Nurse is best placed to liaise closely with social and NHS services, and can often point a carer towards resources they weren’t aware of.
“My training is fairly typical,” says Nicky.
“I’ve been a qualified, registered mental health nurse for 15 years. I’ve worked on an NHS older people’s mental health ward, and have been a community psychiatric nurse, and I’ve been an Admiral Nurse for five years.
“But now I use my skills and experiences from working with people diagnosed with dementia to support the family carers, to enable them to hopefully have a better quality of life.
