Admiral Nurse Launch

Teesside Hospice and Dementia UK have joined forces to develop a new Admiral Nurse Service which has been enabled through a generous donation from Venator.  

At Teesside Hospice we provide a needs led service and want to support as many local people as we can to ensure that they benefit from our care and support.

With 1,581 people in Middlesbrough and 2,038 people in Redcar and Cleveland now living with dementia*, we understand that we can play an important role in developing partnerships to enable people to live well with dementia and to receive better palliative care.

Pictured: Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Executive at Dementia UK, Jean Wooldridge, Admiral Nurse at Teesside Hospice and David Smith, Chief Executive at Teesside Hospice

At the end of January, we were proud to hold the official launch of our Admiral Nurse Service, ran in partnership with Dementia UK, and with thanks to Venator PLC for their generous contribution towards funding the role. The launch provided a great opportunity for healthcare professionals, local members of the community, social workers and carers to learn about our Admiral Nurse, Jean Wooldridge, and understand the positive impact she is already having in our local community.

Jean provides vital, specialist support to people with dementia and their carers and families, giving the one-to-one support, practical advice and expert guidance that helps people face dementia with more confidence and less fear.

At the launch we were proud to hear from Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Executive at Dementia UK too. Hilda provided a fascinating insight into the history of Admiral Nurses and highlighted how important working in partnership is to support local people with dementia.

Pictured: Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and Chief Executive at Dementia UK, speaking at the Admiral Nurse Launch 

Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and Chief Executive Officer for Dementia UK, commented: “End of life care in cases of dementia can take a huge toll on families psychologically, emotionally and financially. This new service with Teesside Hospice will be essential in providing support for families in need. Healthcare professionals will also be able to access Jean’s expertise, paving the way for best practice in dementia care. We are honoured to have Jean as an Admiral Nurse and we look forward to hearing about the impact she will have in the region.” 

By appointing Jean Wooldridge as a dedicated specialist dementia Admiral Nurse, Teesside Hospice can provide holistic, relationship-centred care to people living with dementia and to their families and carers.  Jean’s role as an Admiral Nurse means that she receives support from Dementia UK and regularly networks with other Admiral Nurses to share information and ideas.  The hospice is also able to offer dementia education and is keen to further develop its needs led service, with the valuable support of Dementia UK, so that more people across Teesside can access personalised care, advice and support to meet their needs as individuals.

Pictured: Jean Wooldridge, Admiral Nurse at Teesside Hospice

Jean Wooldridge, Teesside Hospice Admiral Nurse, explained, “The launch of Teesside Hospice’s Admiral Nurse Service is important to highlight the specialist service that we can now provide to people living with dementia and to explain the many ways through which we can educate and offer support; whether that’s to families and carers or to other professionals across Teesside.”

“The role combines two of my greatest passions: dementia care and end of life care. It involves helping families to stay connected, supporting them through the difficult times and allowing them to still find ‘moments of joy.’  These moments stay with families and can help to ease the sadness when someone dies – and I can continue to be there to support them in their bereavement.”

If you would like more information on Jean’s role, or if you are a Family Carer or Health Professional looking for support, please click here for further details.

*Source POPPI