When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them. They give the one-to-one support, guidance and practical solutions people need, and that can be hard to find elsewhere.
Families that have support from the Admiral Nurse Service have someone truly expert and caring by their side – helping them to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.
Currently there is an Admiral Nurse for the Purbeck area. It is hoped to extend this service across Dorset following the publication of the CCGs review of dementia services.
In the meantime, if you feel you need help for a family member, contact your GP or you can access help from one of the Dorset wide Community Mental Health teams .
How to access the Admiral Nurse Service
As a carer, if you feel you need the support of an Admiral Nurse, referrals are made through the GP practice, so you will need to make an appointment to discuss.
Find out more about the Admiral Nurse Service here
Top 15 Communication Tips from an Admiral Nurse
We communicate a lot through our body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. If we appear to be positive, cheerful and confident, we can bring a sense of hope and reassurance to the conversation, and conversely if we appear resentful or unhappy, we can bring a sense of gloom.
You could try:
- Stopping what you’re doing and focusing on the person
- Cut down on distractions
- Saying their name
- Touching the person’s arm, if they feel comfortable with this
- Smiling
- Introducing yourself every time
- Speaking slowly, clearly and in short sentences
- Listening carefully with empathy and understanding
- Giving the person plenty of time to answer
- Maintaining appropriate eye contact
- Using gestures or illustrate the meaning of what you’re saying (e.g. miming drinking a cup of tea, or using photographs to explain)
- Using simple and straightforward language
- Being specific; try not to use pronouns such as he or she, use a person’s name instead
- Avoiding the use of too many open-ended questions or offering too many choices
- Trying not to argue or quibble
Visit our Age Space parent pages for lots more information on dementia.
There are plenty of other dementia services and organisations across Dorset.
