Introduction to the Transforming Dementia Care in Hospitals Series

A short series of articles in Nursing Older People, starting in September, presents case study examples of the positive work achieved by trusts that participated in the RCN’s development programme to improve dementia care in acute hospitals. This introductory article reports on the independent evaluation of the programme. The programme included a launch event, development days, site visits, ongoing support by the RCN lead and carer representatives and a conference to showcase service improvements. The evaluation drew on data from a survey, the site visits, trust action plans and a range of self-assessment tools for dementia care. The findings highlight substantial progress towards programme objectives and learning outcomes and suggest that the programme provided the focus, impetus and structure for trusts to make sustainable changes. It also equipped participants with the strategies and confidence to change practice. Recommendations are made for taking the programme forward.

Towards the End of Life: an In-depth Exploration of the Role of Admiral Nursing in Dementia Care (Innovative Practice)

There are approximately 150 Admiral Nurses in the UK who work alongside other health and social care professionals to support people with dementia and their family carers. However, the stigma of the disease and the lack of recognition that dementia is a life limiting illness have led to neglect in addressing the end of life challenges. The small in-depth study reported here aimed to add to an extremely limited formal evidence base for the effectiveness of this approach and to develop a greater understanding of the range of knowledge and skills required of them in ensuring they are better able to support families in the later stages of the illness. Findings focus on the experiences of family carers, the impact of performing the Admiral Nurse role and the use of qualitative measures in this setting.