The new Admiral Nurses service in Cornwall is being proclaimed a resounding success.
Since being launched in March by Cornwall Care and Dementia UK, the initiative has already responded to the individual needs of over 300 family carers looking after people with dementia in their homes.
Cornwall Care chief executive, Douglas Webb, said: “This valuable service was introduced to test the concept locally and we are now ready to seek funding to sustain and develop Admiral Nursing in Cornwall.
“Carers have told us they don’t know what they would have done without the Admiral Nurse Service because they often didn’t know who to turn to and felt isolated and overwhelmed by their carer responsibilities. A telephone call, a home visit or a referral to the right service has resolved an issue before it has escalated.”
Webb said he was confident, with key partner organisations working together, that the Admiral Nurses service could continue its work. He added: “It will be important that statutory and funding partners in Cornwall are able to assess the evidence for success and get behind this initiative.
“I am sure that if all the stakeholders pull together we can secure and grow a very much appreciated and valued service.”
Hilda Hayo, chief executive at Dementia UK, said: “Admiral Nurses are a beacon for many family carers and the practical and emotional support that they provide is unmatched by any other dementia service.”
Cornwall Care contributed more than half of the funding for the introduction of the Admiral Nurses service, with match funding from the generosity of people supporting the fundraising efforts of local voluntary group Dementia UK (Cornwall).
Chairman of Dementia UK (Cornwall), Lisa Dann, added: “We are delighted at the success of the Admiral team in Cornwall. I know personally that had we had an Admiral Nurse to support us when my father was alive all our lives would have been very different. The work they do is invaluable and must be available to every family who needs them in the county.”
