Dementia Support

Living with dementia can be hard, but it doesn’t mean people can’t stay independent at home. With the right help and a few changes, we can make sure life stays safe, comfortable, and respectful.

We’re here to support you and your family so life can be lived to the fullest. More than 900,000 people in the UK have dementia and as a housing provider, we have an important job to create homes that are safe and dementia-friendly.

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

Access To Services Summarised Policy Customer Vulnerability Summarised Policy

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 support offers

Making small changes and using the right equipment can help you or someone you care for stay safe and comfortable at home. Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society have guides with useful tips on what changes you can make.

We can also arrange a home visit from our Occupational Therapist. During the visit, the therapist will talk through your needs and recommend the best options. This might include simple changes to your home or guidance on other helpful services.

Alongside standard changes, we can provide extra aids to support someone living with dementia.

Safer living for someone with dementia Making your home dementia friendly

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

Arrange a home support check

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

Alzheimer's Society Dementia Adviser Service

Silver Line (Age UK)

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.