Dementia care

When someone you love has dementia it can feel overwhelming and challenging at times. Garden House Hospice Care supports people living with dementia, thanks to our Admiral Nurse, Lucy, a specialist dementia nurse. This service is available for people demonstrating a high level of distress and poor physical/mental health leading to a decrease in wellbeing.

We also provide advice to people who have a poor understanding and difficulty with coping or poor family dynamics which have a negative impact on wellbeing and caregiving, and carers who have difficulty coping or demonstrating poor physical mental health/wellbeing, which effects the care giving/relationship.

Lucy is based at the Hospice three days a week and provides advice, guidance, training and support to carers, families and those living with dementia and approaching the end of their life.

What is an Admiral Nurse?

Admiral Nurses are registered nurses who specialise in dementia care working with families and people affected by dementia. The support they can provide includes:

• Advice and emotional support for family carers

• Support to other healthcare professionals

• Specialist advice and support on palliative and end of life needs of people living with dementia

• Advance care planning and best interest decisions

• Psychosocial interventions to families e.g. education, anxiety management and coping mechanisms

• Support to carers and people with dementia anticipating grief and loss and post-bereavement

• Access and referral links to other services and organisations, such as the family support team and complementary therapy.

What is the referral criteria?

1. The person living with dementia is in their last year of life

2. The family carer who cares for a person with dementia requires support as there are unresolved, complex needs that cannot be met by the current caring team

3. The person with dementia must be registered with a GP within the geographical catchment area of Garden House Hospice Care - communities in North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and surrounding towns and villages of Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.