Belong offers this free dementia specialist support service to all Belong customers with a dementia diagnosis, as well as their family members and carers. Admiral Nurses are mental health nurses specialising in dementia care. They provide individualised support for family members, carers and people who have been medically diagnosed with any form of dementia. This includes Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia and fronto-temporal dementia.
Dementia UK works in partnership with NHS providers and commissioners, social care authorities and voluntary sector organisations, and is responsible for upholding the standards of Admiral Nurses nationwide; it provides support to Belong's Admiral Nurses in the villages. Established as a result of the experiences of family carers, Admiral Nurses are named after Joseph Levy who had vascular dementia and was known as Admiral Joe because of his keen interest in sailing.
Admiral nurses support the entire Belong community and schedule one-to-one consultations to customers and family members. Members of the local community who would like access to an Admiral Nurse are invited to attend our monthly B’s Dementia Café; please contact your local village for dates and times of the next session. To find out more about this Belong service, or if you would like to make a referral on behalf of a Belong customer, please do so here.
Skilled, person-centred assessments of the needs of family carers and Belong customers with dementia
Provision of a range of therapeutic approaches designed to promote emotional well-being
Helping family carers and customers newly diagnosed with dementia to come to terms with their diagnosis
Helping family carers to develop and improve skills in care giving, and to promote best practice
Providing customers, carers and family members with an appropriate amount of relevant information that can be easily understood
Liaison with other professionals and organisations to ensure that families receive co-ordinated support
Providing dementia cafés to help carers to meet each other and provide a safe haven to access advice and support in the community