Admiral Nurse at Trinity Hospice will help people access dementia care

Trinity’s Admiral Nurse Lorna Webber, right, with Clinical Manager Nicky Parkes.

People living with dementia are being given more support thanks to a new role at Trinity Hospice after Trinity welcomed its first Admiral Nurse, Lorna Webber, in collaboration with Dementia UK.

Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses who can offer one-to-one support and guidance to help families live more positively with dementia and to face the challenges the condition may bring with more confidence and less fear.

Although there are 261 Admiral Nurses in the country, Lorna is one of only 14 who work from hospices.

She said ‘My passion is mental health, so when I heard about this job I knew I would be able to use the skills I have developed over the years to support people living with dementia and their carers and families. I am here to provide support, help and advice to local families, and will start working out in the community to educate those people who are caring for someone with dementia, while providing holistic support for patients at the same time.’

Lorna continued by stating ‘I am also going to be providing education and gold standard training here at Trinity Hospice for staff on dementia care so it can be even more dementia friendly than it already is. As an organisation, Trinity is very passionate about its care for people living with dementia.’

Lorna, who has been a nurse in general practice and mental health services for 34 years, said she also had exciting plans to develop dementia care on the Fylde coast, involving more community groups and providing education for District Nurses and other community health care professionals.

She added ‘There are a lot of third-sector organisations trying to help, with dementia cafes and support events, but it’s just about bringing them together and co-ordinating them.’

Trinity’s Chief Executive Officer, David Houston, said ‘We are very pleased to have Lorna on board as our very first Admiral Nurse. This role means that Trinity’s doors are opened even wider to our community, helping to support everyone who is living with dementia, whether they have a diagnosis themselves, their loved one has the condition or they are caring for someone with it. Here at Trinity Hospice we pride ourselves on how dementia-friendly we are, and having an Admiral Nurse strengthens the support we offer to those on the Fylde coast who are living with dementia.’

Dr Hilda Hayo, CEO and Chief Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK, said ‘Lorna’s appointment means that more families will be able to have the emotional and practical lifeline of an Admiral Nurse. We know that end of life care in cases of dementia can be particularly challenging for families. This is why Lorna’s role is key in educating staff at Trinity Hospice so they can better navigate this issue for families as well as themselves. At Dementia UK we will support Lorna to be the best Admiral Nurse she can be and we are delighted to welcome her to our ever-growing fold.’

Find out more on Trintiy Hospice at www.trinityhospice.co.uk