Service Detail

 

Who are we? We are a nurse led service of two Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) provided by South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

We aim to:
Improve the experience and quality of life of people living with dementia and their carers to have better integrated and coordinated care after their diagnosis.

Improve access to appropriate care and support at the appropriate time.

Reducing premature placements of people with dementia into residential and nursing care homes.

Improving End of Life Care support such as Advance Care Planning opportunities.

Who can use the service?
We work with anyone aged 18 or over, with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia. They must live at home at the point of referral and be registered with a Lewisham GP. You can access our service through your GP, Social Care and other professionals (or you can self-refer).

What happens at the service?
We arrange to see the person with dementia, and anyone offering support, about how the memory issues are affecting their life. This is likely to be at home but we can see you in other places if you wish.

What support can the Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialists offer?

 

• Offer a holistic review of the person with dementia and their carers' needs.
• Offer advice about management of physical, psychological social and spiritual issues that may affect people living with dementia.
• Advise on Crisis management and interventions to prevent this.
• Help with care planning and consider Advance Care Planning if you wish to, with you and your carers.
• Refer you on to other teams like the dementia advisors or Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), if necessary.

CNS review to inform the Annual Dementia review in Primary Care.