Jill George, who first joined the hospice in 2003 to set up a hospice at home service, has been appointed to the new post and will take up the position from 1 September 2016.
The new Admiral Nurse post is the result of a partnership between Earl Mountbatten Hospice and Dementia UK, and has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Island community and the tireless fundraising efforts of Lady Sally Grylls, who is a champion for dementia care on the Island.
Dementia UK, which developed the Admiral Nursing model, will continue to work with Earl Mountbatten to govern and support the Admiral Nurse service.
Admiral Nurses provide a unique role in care management by joining up the different parts of the health and social care system, so the needs of family, carers and people with dementia can be addressed in a coordinated way.
This model of nursing is proven to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and enable people with life-limiting conditions to live the best quality of life that they can, while improving support to their families.
In her new role, Jill will lead specialist training and development to ensure that all members of Earl Mountbatten staff, and patient and family-facing volunteers, are kept updated with the latest information and advice on dementia care.
Jill will also work closely with the newly established NHS funded Admiral Nurses at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
Access to the hospice Admiral Nurse will be via other health and social care professionals.
Jill said: “I am looking forward to working alongside people diagnosed with dementia who are coming to the end of life, their families and formal carers to raise awareness and develop coping strategies, to help them live as well as possible.”
Chief executive of Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Nigel Hartley, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to successfully recruit Jill to this vital post and look forward to being able to strengthen our expertise in this area further.
“Dementia is becoming an increasingly significant factor in how we care for people coming to the end of their lives, and importantly, how we support their families and other care agencies. This will further enhance our leading end of life services and offer our Island community a unique resource in this highly expert area of care.”
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