Resources

Resources Introduction

The DementiaWeb site is arranged to make it easy to access dementia related information and services. This resources page draws together key contact information, and also includes links to some resources that are not found elsewhere on the site.

You may also use find our search page useful.

Dementia Books Online

The Royal College of Psychiatrists have made a well-known dementia book available on their website: Dementia: Alzheimer's and other dementias (Cayton, Graham & Warner, 2002; ISBN 1-85959-075-6)

You can also download a copy of Who cares? from the Department of Health website. This well researched NHS publication provides "information and support for the carers of people with dementia", and has been found to be very helpful by many carers. Unfortunately it seems to be quite frequently out of print, so although this is a large document to download having it available as an online resource is very useful.

Personal Life History Booklet

The Personal Life History Booklet (PDF, 255KB) is a wonderful resource, prepared by an Occupational Therapy Student, for Alzheimer's Australia.

"This booklet has been designed to collect the unique social and life history of an individual with dementia. This life history will help individualise the care of the person with dementia and maintain their identity. It will also help people caring for the individual to know them and develop strong relationships with them."

Interpreters and Translation

Alzheimer's Disease International has an extremely helpful web page, of contact details and web links for Alzheimer associations in around 75 different countries around the world. This information is likely to be useful for people living with dementia in Oxfordshire whose first language is not English, and also useful for people who live locally, but have friends or family members living with dementia abroad.

Further information about local support for people from ethnic minorities is available on our local support page.

Resources for Children and Teenagers

A number of resources about dementia and/or caring, aimed specifically at children and teenagers are linked to from our children and young people page.

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Dementia Information Service for Carers (DISC)

The Dementia Information Service for Carers (DISC) is designed to assist individuals and organisations caring for older people with dementia.

DISC is a telephone helpline and can provide information on: dementia; locally available community services; options for residential care; what to look for in a care home; training resources; setting up relatives groups in a care home.

The Clive Project

The Clive Project was established in spring 1998 to develop and provide a range of integrated, specialist and flexible services for younger people with dementia and their carers in Oxfordshire. Read Clive's Story on The Clive Project website.

People supported by the Clive Project include:

• People under 65 years of age with dementia: active individual support sessions, through the Clive Project One-to-One service.
• Family and friends of people with the early onset of dementia: information and emotional support through individual and group sessions.
• Anyone affected by early onset dementia: social events.

The Clive Project has an open referral policy, so anyone can make contact.

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Age Concern

Age Concern Oxfordshire City & County

Age Concern Oxfordshire is an independent local charity and, along with other local Age Concerns, is a member of the Age Concern Federation. Services are tailored to meet the needs of people over 50 in Oxfordshire, and include:

• Flexible Care Scheme
• Specialist Day Centres
• Sole Mates Footcare
• Co-op Home Shopping
• Help with Form Filling

More details of these and other services provided can be found on the Age Concern Oxfordshire website.

Age Concern England

Information and factsheets are available on the Age Concern England website. Freephone information line 0800 00 99 66 (every day 7am-7pm)

SPECAL

SPECAL (Specialized Early Care for Alzheimer's) is a person-centred dementia care charity undertaking ground-breaking work with older people who have dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

SPECAL helps clients to live contentedly by associating their long-term memories with their current experience.

SPECAL also works with the carers, families and friends of people who have dementia, and professionals working in the field of dementia who have an interest in the SPECAL approach.

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Social and Community Services

Social & Community Services is the new name for Social and Health Care (S&HC) in Oxfordshire (also formerly known as Social Services).

The Access to Information Services Team in Oxfordshire

This Team handles all initial enquiries, and requests for Social & Community Services assessment, for adults over the age of 18. Anyone can make a referral to the Access to Information Service Team: this does not have to be done by a professional.

There are three Adult Assessment Teams in Oxfordshire, who take referrals on from the Access to Information Service. They provide Assessment, care planning and review over 2 month period, following initial contact.

 

If need is urgent (e.g. there is serious threat to personal safety), a care manager or social worker will normally visit within 24 hours. Otherwise assessment should be completed within four weeks.

Anyone who is unsure of which team to contact should contact the customer services unit, on 01865 375515.

Emergency Duty Team

The Emergency Duty Team (EDT) provides a countywide emergency out-of-hours and weekend contact for Oxfordshire Social & Community Services on 0800 833408.

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NHS Direct

If you are unsure about whether something needs medical attention, or would like general health advice, you may find it useful to visit the NHS Direct website.

The NHS Direct website is part of the National Health Service, and aims to provide high quality health information and advice.

If you are feeling unwell you can telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for individual advice and information, given by nurses, 24 hours a day.

Oxfordshire Carers Centres

A variety of support is available to carers through the Oxfordshire Carers Centres. The Carers Centres support people who are caring for people with all different sorts of disabilities. Support includes:

• Support Workers
• Young Carers Projects
• Help with Form Filling
• Training Courses
• Respite Funds

More information about Carers Centre services can be found on the Carers in Oxfordshire website: www.oxoncarers.org.uk

There are three Carers Centres in Oxfordshire:

Public Services

Two key websites should provide Oxfordshire residents with most of the information they require relating to public services:

Direct.gov.uk is a national government web site providing comprehensive information on public services, (including benefits).

Oxfordshire.gov.uk provides key information and contact details for services throughout Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire Gateway

Information on public services and community networks across Oxfordshire are available on the Oxfordshire Gateway site.

Voluntary Organisations

Voluntary organisations - this Alzheimer's Society factsheet is an extremely helpful list of many different national organisations who can provide all kinds of support and help; it includes links to their websites.

Research and Campaigns

New research into dementia drugs

Key proteins linked to plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were 70 per cent less in people prescribed the only-available treatments for the condition compared to untreated patients. The first study into the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on the human brain provides important new evidence of how the progression of dementia is altered by the drugs.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news_and_campaigns/Press_Releases/m_ 140507benefitsofdementiadrugs.htm

Developments and resources in Oxfordshire

Eating and drinking

Developing Therapeutic Mealtimes and exploring Enabling Environments for Mealtime Care for Older People through Action Research

A checklist of recommendations for designing dementia-friendly outdoor environments

DeNDRoN Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network

http://www.dendron.org.uk/rn/thames_valley.html

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In Berkshire, Geoff Brenan and Lynne Renals O’Kane are leading a project which focuses on developing Life Story work in their unit and are using the Collaborative Methodology to monitor, support and evidence this work. This evolved as a result of the service user feedback project that Geoff undertook for all of the service users on the ward.

In Oxford, Elaine and David representing Age Concern and the Oxford and Bucks mental health trust are in the early stages of project team development. The team are developing information that can be provided to service users and carers at the point of diagnosis and at their three month follow up. Sarah and David have met with a group of carers in Bicester who have agreed to act as a reference group for the project and to engage in a process mapping exercise.