Fran Mada

Consultant Admiral Nurse for Young Onset Dementia, Dementia UK

Fran Mada is a Consultant Admiral Nurse for Young Onset Dementia at Dementia UK, providing expert clinical leadership and advocacy for younger people with dementia and their families. A dual‑registered General and Mental Health Nurse with over 35 years of experience, Fran’s work is grounded in clinical expertise, leadership, education, and research.

Fran began her nursing career with the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, becoming a Psychiatric District Coordinator before relocating to the UK. She has since worked across acute, community, and mental health NHS services, consistently focused on improving care for people with dementia—particularly younger individuals whose needs are frequently unmet.

She contributed to the UK’s largest care‑home dementia study, WHELD, delivering psychosocial training across multiple care homes. As a Mental Health Discharge Liaison Nurse, Fran supported people with dementia moving from hospital to care homes, witnessing significant gaps in provision for younger people. These experiences informed her doctoral research.

Committed to education, Fran believes that confident, knowledgeable professionals are essential to improving quality of life for families affected by dementia. Her PhD explored the experiences of spouses navigating hospital‑to‑care‑home transitions for partners with young onset dementia, highlighting unmet needs and systemic challenges.

Fran collaborates with national and European research partners through the SPIN‑D and INTERDEM networks. Influenced by both professional experience and her mother’s delayed dementia diagnosis, she is dedicated to equitable, age‑appropriate care. She leads the Young Dementia Network’s Long Life Support Workstream.