After a year like no other, nurses have provided invaluable support for primary and secondary care. Celebrated on the 12th of May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, International Nursing Day looks at how nurses far and wide can share their stories and make a difference to the future of healthcare. Nursing is the largest healthcare profession, so has a big part to play in planning the future of healthcare. This year the theme of International Nurses Day is Nurses: A Voice to Lead while also looking at A Vision for Future Healthcare.
As one of Dementia UK’s corporate partners, we’re proud to support their Admiral Nurse service. Currently, there are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to increase by 1 million by 2025 and 1.6 million by 2040. Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for more than 12% of all deaths.
Primary care plays a key role in diagnosing dementia. It’s here that GPs often identify early signs of cognitive impairment, referring people on for specialist assessments where necessary and managing the person’s health needs through the different stages of their condition.
However, as Dementia UK itself says: “Demand for care home and hospice places outstrips supply. More and more onus for support is being pushed towards GPs, who are already overstretched. At a time when primary care is under pressure, a proactive approach is required to manage the long-term health and social care needs of families affected by dementia.”
So how can Admiral Nurses help?
Recognising the need for a specialist support network for those living with dementia and their families, Dementia UK provides specialist help through Admiral Nurses. There are over 100 services in which Admiral Nurses help families and professionals providing care. Within primary care, they help families stay connected with a person living with dementia, even if communication is getting really tough. They help relatives find extra care and support when they need it and they share techniques to make life easier for people living with dementia.
We support Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Helpline with our funding every Sunday, when other sources of support can be hardest to reach.
“In such a kind, understanding and compassionate way, the Admiral Nurse explained that a diagnosis would give my aunt better access to local services, to help her stay at home longer; this included someone from the council making improvements to the bathroom. The Admiral Nurse also told me that I could speak to the GP to get diazepam, in order to calm her. Without this advice, I would have felt more pressured.”- Julie, after calling the Dementia UK hotline.