Personal stories

The need for specially tailored accommodation which supports people to live independently, as valued members of their families, social networks and the local community, is without doubt.

In Oxfordshire alone, where we plan to create our first assisted living facility for people with young onset dementia, there may be as many as 400 people with dementia under the age of 65 years of age.

We know from talking to people with young onset dementia and their carers that most people want to stay living at home for as long as possible, but when this becomes too challenging people have little choice but to go into a care home. According to Oxfordshire’s Dementia Plan, in 2011 more than 150 people with young onset dementia required specialist care currently provided by a residential care home or nursing home.

Although the services offered by a care home may be very good, residents are usually much older and activities are focussed on the frail elderly, which can mean that younger people’s health and wellbeing deteriorates much more quickly.

The following personal stories highlight the desperate need for our planned independent living facility and the difference this would make for younger people with dementia and their carers.

We’re really keen to hear about your experience of living with young dementia and how this has affected your life, and what difference you think our home would make to you. Please email us at info@youngdementiaukhomes.org if you have a story you’d like to share with us, or more widely.

The people in the photos accompanying Personal Stories are models used to depict our potential future residents and their carers, unless otherwise stated.