What we do
Dementia Oxfordshire supports all people with a diagonsis of dementia, as well as their families, and carers. Our specialist young onset support helps those who were diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65.
Our team consists of Dementia Advisers and Support Workers who continuously work with people diagnosed with dementia and their relatives/carers, providing ongoing support and information on the following:
- Information about dementia
- How to get help locally
- Staying independent
- Adaptations for your home
- Benefits and allowances for those with dementia and their carers
- Additional support and respite breaks
- Activities and leisure opportunities
- Planning for the future
- Financial and legal issues
Our Support Line
The dementia support line is staffed by Dementia Advisers, who offer advice and guidance on dementia to everyone, including relatives, carers, and health care professionals. Advice can be offered anonymously if preferred and the advisers have extensive knowledge of the services available in Oxfordshire.
Our support line is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday on 01865 410 210.
Alternatively, or for out of hours support call the Dementia UK support line where you can speak to an Admiral Nurse on 0800 888 6678.
Our approach
We provide support for people living with dementia and their families in a way that is evidence-based and person-centred.
The person-centred approach
Person-centred care is at the heart of the support we provide. While there are many “best practices” when it comes to supporting someone with dementia, this does not mean that we provide the same type of support to each person.
A person-centred approach to care means that:
- we treat you as a person – with individual goals, preferences, habits, and strengths – in planning your care, rather than a health condition
- we recognise that each person has a different reaction to a diagnosis of dementia
- we look at the wider context of your situation including the relationships you have and the support you can get
- you are an equal partner in planning and developing your care to ensure it meets your needs.
For more information about our team and where we work, visit our meet the team page.
The evidence-based approach
A large part of our role is to offer information and advice to people with dementia and families on how to manage the symptoms of dementia and how to promote good health, independence and well-being.
The advice we provide is based on recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). These recommendations come from robust evidence built on observations of good practice over many years of treatment and care. This ensures that the advice you receive from us is reliable and consistent.
The NICE guidelines on dementia cover a wide range of issues in dementia support including:
- management of cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms
- coordinating care
- medication
- managing other long-term conditions alongside dementia
- managing hospital visits
- palliative care
- supporting carers
