Sophie Murphy-Ayeche is our specialist dementia nurse. Her post is funded by St Mary’s and she’s employed in our Compassionate Communities team, with the role supported by Dementia UK with training and development, which means she’s an Admiral Nurse — admiral nurses being the title given to Dementia UK’s specialists nurses.
Sophie explains: “We work in partnership with Dementia UK and other partners so that, collectively, we can provide the best possible care and support for service users across Furness and the South Lakes.”
Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK. It’s an umbrella term which describes a set of symptoms caused by a range of progressive neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s, and the number of people living with a dementia diagnosis in the UK is at a record high and set to continue to rise.
With our local area having what is described as a ‘super-aging’ population by the Government, providing a service to local people is vital. And Sophie is proud to lead it.
“I love my job. I feel so privileged to work with our service users and their families.
“People living with dementia often face significant loss as do their families. That’s why we emphasise what individuals can do rather than what they can’t, helping to restore confidence while supporting their physical, mental and social well-being. Our focus is on enabling people to live well and thrive.”
For Sophie, working in dementia is personal.
“I knew I always wanted to be a nurse, but it took me a long time to feel confident enough to go for it. In many ways I’m glad I waited until I was ready to go into nursing because when I did, I was ready for it, and to fully commit myself to the study and the training.
“My first experience of dementia was with my Nana, Betty. I was probably about 16, and it wasn’t something we talked about much, but I watched her deteriorate, it was heartbreaking.
“She died of pneumonia in the end, in the hospital. My mum was able to be with her, and they did eventually put her in a private room, but not even that happens for everyone.
“The care that we give here in our service means that people can have better outcomes.
“My caseload includes a lot of psychosocial interventions. We don’t want people to feel lost in the system. We hope to make sure that doesn’t happen. We place a strong emphasis on cognitive and sensory stimulation, maintaining physical strength, and encouraging activity. Our goal is to boost self-esteem and help people rediscover the activities they once enjoyed or find new ones, fostering a sense of fulfilment and purpose.
And it’s not just the patients — Sophie’s service helps carers too.
She said: “Carers can quickly find themselves socially isolated for many reasons, particularly if they don’t have any strong social networks around them. And so these dementia services that we offer allow them to come together, get some peer support, get information from our team and, most importantly, return to their role of husband or wife, or son or daughter, and not just their carer even if it’s just for a few hours.”
Sophie’s team run dementia cafes in Barrow and Ulverston, as well as a regular Woodland Wellness group and Sporting Memories — which is centred around sport and funded by Active Cumbria. The team plan to expand the locations of cafes in the new year and will be engaging with community groups in areas like Millom, Grange and the Lakes, to work out the best way to reach the most people.
It’s possible to self-refer to the dementia services, fill in the form on our website (add link) and a member of the team will contact you to discuss how best we can help.
And what would Nana Betty think?
“I think she would be proud. A lot of her friends had dementia too and there seemed to be a lot of stigma at the time. I feel hopeful that attitudes are changing. My vision is that people living with dementia can live full, meaningful lives, free from discrimination, in a community that empowers them to achieve their goals and ambitions.”
To find more information on St Mary’s Dementia Service, and to refer yourself or a loved one, click here: https://www.stmaryshospice.org.uk/our-care/for-patients/dementia-service/
It’s possible to self-refer to the dementia services, fill in the form on our website and a member of the team will contact you to discuss how best we can help.