The Elise Pilkington Trust has awarded Paul Sartori Hospice at Home a grant of £10,000 to extend its support for Pembrokeshire patients living at home with dementia.

The award will fund up to 232 hours of hands-on home nursing care, allowing day and night-time respite for those families who are struggling. Families can access support during the day – so they can address their own care needs, attend appointments, catch up with friends, enjoy their hobbies or just rest. Families who need respite can also access support during the night. They will have peace of mind knowing that their loved one is looked after by Paul Sartori staff who are experienced and trained in many complex medical conditions.

Paul Sartori Clinical Team Manager Laura Hugman said: “This funding has come at a crucial time for us. We had funding for a few trails where we recognised a need for support. We know the difference this care makes to local families supporting a relative with dementia at home. It can be exhausting. Quite often they cannot leave their loved one unattended and they get very little time to themselves, which can have a great impact on the family carer. This project will increase the resilience of the family carer and support the patient in a familiar environment where they feel comfortable and secure.”

Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust chairman Ruth Tarry said their support fits well with their aims of supporting projects dedicated to addressing the needs of older people with advanced dementia, and their carers.

This follows on from support provided by NFU Mutual’s Agency Giving Fund and the Hywel Dda University Health Board. Although Dementia was not recognised until recently as something you can die of. According to the Office for National Statistics, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was recorded as one of the leading causes of death in Wales in April 2023. The Paul Sartori Hospice at Home Clinical Staff Team will work with the Admiral and Marie Curie Dementia Nurses to enhance support locally.

Further information on Paul Sartori can be obtained by visiting www.paulsartori.org, or calling 01437 763223.