Our services

Dementia care

Coming into hospital can be a challenging and unfamiliar experience, particularly for someone living with dementia. Our teams help patients feel safe, respected and supported, while taking the time to understand their individual needs, preferences and wishes.

We work closely with patients, families and carers to support communication, promote independence wherever possible, and help patients feel comfortable and involved in decisions about their care.

On this page, you can find information about the support available for people living with dementia across our hospitals, as well as advice and resources for families and carers.

Our Admiral Nurse Service supports people living with dementia, and their families or carers, throughout an inpatient hospital stay.

The service is made up of Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses who can provide expert advice, practical guidance, and emotional support. Our Admiral Nurses also collaborate with teams across the Trust to support the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, patient-centred dementia care.

The service is available during an inpatient stay only. Once a patient has been discharged, the Admiral Nurses can help signpost families and carers to local services that provide ongoing support in the community.

How the Admiral Nurse Service can help

Every person living with dementia has different needs, and every hospital admission is unique. Our Admiral Nurses provide personalised support, helping families and carers understand what is happening and feel more confident throughout the patient's hospital stay. This includes:

specialist advice about dementia and its impact
emotional support for families and carers
practical advice on caring for someone living with dementia
guidance on understanding changes in behaviour, distress or confusion
support with planning for discharge and future care
information about care options and available support services
advice on making important decisions and planning ahead
strategies to support carers' own health and wellbeing
signposting to local and national dementia support organisations

Who can access the service?

The Admiral Nurse Service provides support to:

people living with dementia who have been admitted to an inpatient service at one of our hospitals
families, carers and loved ones of inpatients in our hospitals who are living with dementia

Contact us

Our Admiral Nurse Service is available for contact Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

York Hospital and surrounding areas - call Ruth Mahon on 07833287356
Scarborough Hospital and East Coast - call Shelley Cooper on 07967850258
Cross-site support - call Rachael Barron on 07876131299

Please note: this is not an emergency or urgent response service. The team aim to respond as quickly as possible, but it may take up to two working days for a response in busy periods.

If the team is unable to support you directly, they will connect you with local or national dementia services for help.

Every person living with dementia is unique. That's why our team encourages patients living with dementia, together with their family or carer, to complete a 'What Matters to Me' document as soon as possible after they are admitted to hospital.

This document helps those caring for the patient get to know the person beyond their diagnosis. It includes information about:

their likes and dislikes
their daily routines and preferences
their communication needs
their interests and hobbies
what helps them feel safe, comfortable and reassured

This can also help improve communication between families and hospital staff, support continuity of care throughout the patient's hospital stay, and reduce the risk of distress.

If your relative or friend is living with dementia and has been admitted to one of our hospitals, please ask a member of the ward team for a 'What Matters to Me' document or speak to the Admiral Nurse Team about this.

Carer Hub

If you care for someone with dementia, please visit our Carer Hub. It provides helpful information on visiting patients in hospital, John's Campaign, our commitment to carers, available facilities, and more.

Alzheimer's Society

The Alzheimer's Society provides information, advice, resources and ongoing support for people living with dementia, their families and carers.

Support is available face-to-face, by telephone, video call, or by email, and includes information, advice, practical guidance and signposting to local services.

Contact the Alzheimer's Society

Margaret Ferguson, a Dementia Advisor at the Alzheimer's Society, is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Call 07803118106 or email Margaret.Ferguson@Alzheimers.org.uk.

Outside of these hours, support is available from:

Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support Line: 0333 150 3456
www.alzheimers.org.uk
Online community forum: forum.alzheimers.org.uk

Alzheimer's Society drop-in clinic

Margaret Ferguson runs a weekly drop-in clinic at York Hospital every Wednesday for people worried about their memory, those awaiting a memory assessment appointment, people with a diagnosis of dementia, or those supporting someone living with dementia.

The session runs from 2 to 4pm every Wednesday in the Age UK Office, Top Floor, Junction 8, York Hospital.