Dementia Adviser – City & East
Email: joangardner@dementiaoxfordshire.org.uk
Joan is one of three Dementia Advisers working in Oxford City and has worked with Age UK Oxfordshire since 2012.
“I enjoy being able to offer personalised, ongoing support to people living with dementia and their families, friends and carers. I often meet families when a loved one has been recently diagnosed with the early stages of dementia. Some individuals and families want to continue to live life as before while others are overwhelmed by the diagnosis and want someone to steer them through the maze of information available. These needs change over time – and as their Dementia Adviser I tailor the support, information and guidance I give to those immediate and then changing needs.
It really is possible to live well with Dementia. The most satisfying parts of my work are celebrating triumphs, big and small, with clients and being there through the challenging times. I have supported patients with dementia in their homes, in care homes and in community settings for more than a decade. I have lived experience of the day to day realities of caring for someone with dementia.”
Joan has a specialist interest in supporting clients around issues of bereavement, exploring volunteering opportunities for people living with early stage dementia and ensuring people maintain good nutrition, particularly during the later stages of living with dementia.
