Start of service to help victims of dementia

A SPECIALIST mental health team has been set up by health chiefs to increase support to care homes across Hambleton and Richmondshire.

The team created by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) will support local residential and nursing homes with mental health nurses working closely with care home staff to make sure residents with dementia get the care and treatment they need.

There are currently 17 nursing and residential homes in Hambleton and Richmondshire and a high proportion of the residents may have, or develop dementia. The service aims to provide additional support to enable patients with dementia to stay in their residential or nursing homes rather than be admitted into hospital.

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Helen Mackley, service manager for mental health services for older people in Hambleton and Richmondshire, said: “Moving someone with dementia from their nursing or residential home into hospital can be extremely stressful.”

The team, which includes three nurses and a clinical psychologist, will work alongside the trust’s community mental health services.