Supporting families on the frontline of the battle against dementia

She is the smiling face of reassurance for countless families across Dorset living with the cruel reality of dementia.

Noela Chituh is an Admiral Nurse, trained by the charity Dementia UK, working out of Kingsley Healthcare’s Dorset care homes in Highcliffe, Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Since joining the company six months ago her wide-ranging mission has been not only to support care home residents and their families, but to improve the skills and understanding of staff and begin outreach work in the community.

And she has straightaway found herself on the frontline of the battle to improve care, for the retirement honeypot of Christchurch was dubbed the “dementia capital of the UK” in a 2017 report by Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The study found that the town had the highest prevalence of dementia per head of population, with 28 cases per 1,000 people.

Mrs Chituh, a qualified mental health nurse who took on extra specialist dementia training to equip her for her current role, said: “Dementia is a general term for a group of symptoms that affect a person’s ability to think, remember and reason.  It is caused by a number of diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s Disease, which damage the brain and destroy nerve cells.”

While distressing for the individual living with dementia, it could sometimes be even worse for their family, faced with “losing” the person they know and love as their cognitive abilities fade away.

Mrs Chituh said: “To say I was excited about taking on the role of Admiral Nurse Clinical Lead at Kingsley Healthcare is an understatement.

“I have relished this opportunity to embed an effective service, striving to make a genuine change in the lives of people with a dementia, as well as supporting their carers and families.”

Reminiscence therapy is a key part of her work with residents, talking to them about their earlier life and bringing back positive memories.

“Remembering things such as their favourite holiday spot or pets that played a big role in their life can bring great comfort,” she said.

“Listening to a resident’s favourite music and having a conversation with them about it is another great way to lift their mood. The song will often be connected to an important chapter in their life.”

To support residents’ families, Mrs Chituh holds Admiral Nurse clinics at Highcliffe Nursing Home on a Monday, Branksome Heights Care Home, in Bournemouth, on a Tuesday and Queen Charlotte Nursing Home, in Weymouth, on a Wednesday.

As well as explaining how dementia affects their loved one, she gives reassurance regarding the emotions that family members will inevitably be feeling as the person changes before their eyes.

She said: “When your loved one has dementia, you may experience anticipatory grief; you grieve for the person before they have died, experiencing all kinds of emotions such as denial, depression and anger.”

Mrs Chituh plays an important role in educating and training staff to better support residents living with dementia.

She said: “The way staff respond to residents is so important. If someone says, ‘I want to see my mum’, you can’t say, ‘your mum has died’ as that will re-traumatise them each time.

“You need to deflect the conversation, perhaps asking, ‘what would you like to do with your mum?’ or saying, ‘would you like a cup of tea before we talk about your mum’.”

On World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, Mrs Chituh invited local people to talks about dementia at both Highcliffe and Branksome Heights.

In the future, she is looking to step up community engagement by launching local dementia support groups.

Kingsley Healthcare’s regional operations director, Tracey Millar, said: “Noela’s appointment has been a hugely positive step for both our residents and their families.

“Going forward, she will have an even greater impact in the community as well.”