“We are now in a much better position to manage my mother’s dementia”

When Pam was diagnosed with dementia, her daughter Emily noticed that she was finding it hard to accept her diagnosis. This was affecting both Pam and her dad, who is Pam's carer. 

Our Admiral Nurses Team were able to provide much needed support to Emily and her parents, to help them navigate this complex situation.

Emily was referred to our Admiral Nurses Team to access support for her mother and for her father. In Sutton, the Admiral Nurses Team work alongside people with dementia and their families in complex situations, providing one-to-one support, guidance and practical solutions to help residents to live in their own homes for longer, maintaining independence in their lives. 

Admiral Nurse Vincent Goodorally met Emily and her parents and was able to put in place strategies and provide support and the tools needed to help the whole family. “With this particular family I was able to provide firstly a listening ear to the father who was coping with his wife’s changing personality and needs, while trying to keep his daughter protected from the situation. It’s about assessing the needs of the whole family in a holistic way, not just the individual diagnosed with dementia. 

I worked with Emily and her parents to put in place coping strategies to help everyone adapt. This included making a referral so that care could be arranged, ensuring the same carer could attend to build up a relationship with her mother. I introduced Emily and her parents to a day centre where her mother could meet with others socially in a safe place while also allowing her father, as the main carer, to have some time to himself. I encouraged Emily’s father to attend a GP appointment to check his own health and wellbeing and provided guidance on what support services are available to the family across the borough.”

Vincent’s support enabled the family to move forward in a much more positive way. Emily is ‘thankful to Vincent for the support and guidance he was able to give me and my parents. He was able to quickly see our situation and the characters involved and suggest ideas and strategies to best suit our family. His input made a great difference to us all and we are now in a much better position to manage my mother’s dementia.”

Find out more about the support available for adults with dementia in Sutton.

The Admiral Nurse Dementia UK Helpline is available. Call the Helpline for free on 0800 888 6678, email helpline@dementiauk.org or book a virtual clinic.