Supporting family carers via the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline: reflection on a case study

In the UK, the quality of post-diagnostic care and support for people with dementia and their family carers is variable and depends on the availability of services in each person's local area. This article considers the support services available for families affected by dementia and discusses how telephone helplines can assist those who may have no access to other types of support. It presents a case study describing a call to the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline, a service run by nurses with expertise in dementia care and provided by the charity Dementia UK. This is followed by a reflection on the call from the nurse's perspective. The case study-based reflection demonstrates the complexity of providing support through a helpline and the specialist knowledge and skills required to provide the appropriate level of support.