Dementia Support

Living with dementia can be challenging, but it doesn’t mean you can’t continue to live independently at home. With the right support and a few thoughtful changes, we can help make everyday life safer, more comfortable, and respectful of your needs.

We’re here to support you and your family, so you can continue to enjoy life in the way that matters most to you. There are currently around 1 million people in the UK living with dementia, and we have an important role to play in creating homes that feel safe, welcoming, and easy to live in.

Read the full Access to Services or Customer Vulnerability policy or our summarised versions.

Access To Services Summarised Policy Customer Vulnerability Summarised Policy

Living well with dementia

Everyone's experience of dementia is different. We can work with you and your family to provide practical support alongside trusted specialists, helping you stay safe, comfortable and independent at home.

We can support you with:

Home adaptations and equipment
Occupational therapy assessments
Guiding you or your family to make your home dementia friendly
Flexible communication options
Getting support for carers and family members
Help accessing specialist services
Advice if you need to move home
Support to stay independent

Our Housing Team and Occupational Therapist are on hand to offer advice and support but you can also find some helpful guidance from Age UK and Dementia UK below.

Age UK - At home with dementia Creating a dementia friendly living room Dementia UK - Living with dementia

Supporting you at home

Here's what happens when you tell us you need support:

Step 1: Get in touch and we'll talk through your needs and agree any communication adjustments that could help.

Step 2: If appropriate, we'll arrange a home visit from our Occupational Therapist to understand your situation and recommend practical solutions.

Step 3: We can help with home adaptations, dementia-friendly equipment and specialist aids to support you to stay safe and independent.

Step 4: We'll help you access additional support from organisations such as Dementia UK, the Alzheimer's Society, Durham Carers and social prescribing services.

Step 5: We'll work with you and your family to make sure the right support is in place and review it regularly as your needs change.

Accessing our services

We want to make using our services as easy as possible. If you need extra support, we can communicate in different ways and make changes to suit your needs.

Tell us what would help you. If you need extra support, just let us know. This could include:

More time to respond
Different ways to contact us
Letters in large print
Help from someone you trust

We will make these changes and record your preferences, following our Access to Services and Customer Vulnerability policies. We will review these arrangements regularly to make sure they still work for you.

Our policies Our summarised policies

Supporting someone with dementia

If you're supporting a family member or friend who is living with dementia, we're here to help. With their permission, we can work with you to make managing home-related matters easier.

We may be able to add a trusted person to the account, agree communication preferences and work with carers, advocates or support workers where appropriate.

We can talk through the options available and help put the right arrangements in place.

Third party authorisation Durham County Carers Support

Aids and adaptations

Simple changes and equipment can make a big difference. We recommend:

Dementia-friendly clock – helps show day and night clearly
Whiteboard or notice board – for reminders and notes
Coloured toilet seat – makes it easier to see and reduces confusion
Extra plug sockets – avoids trailing wires and improves lighting
Picture signs on doors – helps with recognition and finding rooms
Support with money and benefits – from our Money Support Team
Regular home visits – to stay in touch and check what support works

Aids and Adaptations

The Herbert Protocol (Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police)

The Herbert Protocol is a national police scheme that helps find missing people, including those living with dementia.

You fill in a form in advance with key details such as a recent photo, physical description, health needs, usual routes, and important contacts. If someone goes missing, the police can use this information straight away to start the search.

Durham Constabulary Herbert Protocol Cleveland Police Herbert Protocol

Specialist local services

If dementia is affecting you or someone in your household, contact us today or find helpful resources from trusted specialist below:

Age UK advice line

Alzheimers Society dementia support line

Durham County Carers online support tools

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.