A new specialist dementia nurse and memory assessment support service has launched in Cheshire East to support families with dementia.

The service, which will improve diagnosis rates and post diagnostic support, is being delivered by Dementia Resource Community in partnership with Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nurse charity.

Laura Whitehead, who is leading the service, is a full-time specialist admiral nurse covering the Macclesfield, Wilmslow and Knutsford areas of Cheshire.

Whitehead said: “We’re working with an increasing number of families affected by dementia across Cheshire East and giving them emotional and practical support to cope with a dementia diagnosis.

“We also give tailored information, advice and coping strategies which can help people to safely stay in their home for longer and live more positively with dementia. We also provide advanced care planning.”

Further admiral nurses and memory assessment nurses are being appointed in Cheshire. Admiral nurse Kim Griffiths recently joined the team to cover the city of Chester and she will be joined later this month by a colleague covering Winsford. Applications are also open for an admiral nurse to join the Crewe team.

Clinical lead and admiral nurse Cathrina Moore founded Dementia Resource Community, a non-profit subsidiary of Chapel House Care in Puddington, Cheshire, to improve life for families living with the impact of a dementia diagnosis.

Moore said: “We are delighted to be working with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust, local Community Mental Health Teams and Dementia UK to provide this vital service to people across Cheshire East.

“There is a real need for this service, particularly because there is often a lot of misunderstanding in relation to the symptoms of neurological diseases and the challenges of diagnosis caused by the pandemic.”