Specialised 24/7 live-in home care maximises client well-being and prevents trauma and disruption.
London, UK, Tuesday 5th May 2015 – In partnership, Dementia UK and The Good Care Group today announced the appointment of a Consultant Admiral Nurse (a specialist dementia nurse), to support clients who are living with advanced stages of dementia.
Three-quarters of The Good Care Group’s client base have dementia, and its unique 24/7 live-in care service model, enables the person with dementia to continue living in their familiar home environment, to prevent trauma and disruption. As part of its nurse-led service package, The Good Care Group will now be able to offer the support of a Consultant Admiral Nurse, who has the unique social and clinical skills to deliver an individualised care package to the person living with dementia, within their home. Dementia UK, who developed the Admiral Nursing model, will work with The Good Care Group to govern and monitor the Admiral Nursing service.
Dr Penny Hibberd, who first became an Admiral Nurse in 1999, and specialises in the impact of family relationships through the dementia journey, has been appointed as the Consultant Admiral Nurse to The Good Care Group. Penny will collaboratively work with health and social care professionals, care workers, family carers and the person with dementia to enhance the well-being and health outcomes for all people involved, and to prevent crisis and unnecessary admissions to hospital for the person with dementia.
Besides delivering an assessment, carer support plan, and continual reviews, Dr Penny Hibberd will also coach and supervise the Group’s regional team leaders, care workers, and in particular, family carers, to develop coping strategies for stress management; and to help the person who is living with dementia, to adjust and cope with their condition. This will ensure the quality of life of the person with dementia and their family and professional carers. In addition, Penny will hold quarterly family events to provide advice, information, and the opportunity to attend a one-to-one clinic.
Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and Chief Executive, Dementia UK comments: “We are pleased to work with The Good Care Group, to help deliver an Admiral Nursing service to people with dementia, who have 24/7 live-in care. Admiral Nursing is an adaptable model that works within any care set-up; our primary focus is on providing the professional and family carers with the skills and emotional support to ensure the well-being of the person with dementia, and to avoid a crisis intervention.”
Fiona Lowry, Chief Executive, The Good Care Group comments: “We are delighted to have Penny on board where her wealth of experience as a Consultant Admiral Nurse will further enhance the quality of our award winning live-in care service”.
Dr Penny Hibberd, Consultant Admiral Nurse, The Good Care Group comments: “I am passionate about delivering a care plan that best suits the person with dementia and their care team – from the professional care worker to the immediate family carer, and their wider family. By supporting the individual needs of the person with dementia and their care team, both socially and clinically, it reduces the trauma for all involved.”
Dementia UK works in partnership with health and care organisations to promote and develop new Admiral Nursing services. It is striving to increase the number of Admiral Nurses by 50 per cent over the next two years to support the growing number of families affected by dementia.
Notes to editor
We request that the terms dementia ‘sufferer(s)’, ‘victims(s)’, and ‘patient(s)’ are not used in any headlines to accompany this story. Alternative suggestions are person/people ‘with dementia’ or ‘living with dementia’.
About dementia UK
Dementia UK provides Admiral Nurses – specialist dementia nurses – who expertly support families living with dementia. Admiral Nurses are available to support families from the point of diagnosis to post bereavement, provide advice on referrals to other appropriate services, and liaise with other healthcare professionals on behalf of the family. Currently the majority of Admiral Nurses work within the NHS supporting people in the community. However, Admiral Nurses also work in other care settings such as: care homes, acute hospitals, end of life care and in the community supported by voluntary organisations or home care services.
Dementia UK also runs a national helpline, Admiral Nursing DIRECT, which is the only Nurse-led dementia helpline in the country. It offers practical advice and emotional support for families living with the effects of dementia. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9.15am-4.45pm and on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 6.00pm-9.00pm. Call 0203 728 7577 or email direct@dementiauk.org
About The Good Care Group
The Good Care Group is the UK’s most awarded home care company whose professional approach to home care enables its clients to live well in their own homes, whilst improving health and wellbeing outcomes. They provide a fully managed home care service throughout England and Scotland, which is inspected and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Scottish Care Inspectorate. They are specialists in caring for people with dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, Stroke rehabilitation and providing end of life care.
