The Forget Me Not charity was set up in 2018 with the vision of funding an Admiral Nurse Service on the Isle of Man as they had recognised a need to support people living with dementia and their carers. Working in partnership with Dementia UK the charity approached Hospice, who agreed to host the Admiral Nurse Service.
Fast forward to January 2020, the island’s first Admiral Nurse, Jeanette Hogg, came into post. By June 2021, the Admiral Nurse Service had expanded and took on a second nurse, Chris Kilford.
Working in the community across the island, Jeanette and Chris have supported 114 families with mid-to-end stage dementia and post-bereavement. They now have group sessions for people living with dementia and training sessions for their carers – Your Time, Your Place, a weekly indoor crown green bowling group “Bowled over”, and an informal monthly peer support group – Your Network. They deliver training to Hospice staff, volunteers and other health professionals. Working in partnership with Older Person’s Mental Health Services and the Alzheimer’s Society on an arts in dementia project.
“We had the vision and Jeanette and Chris have brought it too life” (Julie Amphlett)
“The service continues to grow and develop to meet the needs of people living with dementia and their carers and we couldn’t do this without the funding from the Forget Me Not charity and support from Hospice and Dementia UK” (Jeanette Hogg)
Huge well done to the Forget Me Not Admiral Nursing Service for everything they have achieved, and Julie Amphlett and Gemma Wild from Forget Me Not who have made this all possible. Our plaque for them now sits proudly in our Hospice building.