New dementia clinic helps staff care for their loved ones

A trust in the north-west of England has set up a specialist nurse-led clinic to offer staff advice and information on caring for a loved one with dementia.

The Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which covers greater Manchester and the town of Glossop in Derbyshire, recently established an Admiral nurse service to help address the needs of carers of people with dementia.

But after recognising a need for advice, information and support among its own staff, who were contacting the service about their loved ones, the trust set up a special clinic, which began on 4 January.

Admiral nurse and lead nurse for dementia Pam Kehoe said the staff clinic began because she was stopped for advice on daily basis. 

Staff and carers

‘We have recognised that our staff may be carers for people living with dementia too, and have recently introduced a staff Admiral nurse clinic. The clinic provides our staff members the opportunity to have dedicated one to one appointments with an Admiral nurse for support, education and advice,’ she said.

‘While this is a new service, early feedback indicates that it has enabled those who have used it to receive expert support, education and advice, to build resilience in their role as family carers and as healthcare workers too.’

Ms Kehoe was formerly lead nurse for dementia and frail elderly people, before the trust collaborated with Dementia UK to convert her post.

‘I had been an Admiral nurse in a previous role, which eased the process,’ she said. ‘It also meant that there were no extra cost implications for the trust.’

Staff members can access the support clinic twice a month, on the first and third Wednesdays from 1-4pm.

Tameside and Glossop chief nurse Pauline Jones said: ‘We decided to support staff as we know that the impact of caring for a loved one with dementia can be very stressful.

‘Having a staff Admiral nurse clinic at the trust provides an opportunity for our staff to get easy access to expert information and advice, as well as vital individualised support at the time that it is needed.’

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