A Wantage man has been made an ambassador for Dementia Oxfordshire after benefitting from the support the service provided after he received a dementia diagnosis.

Glenn Fletcher was diagnosed with dementia in December 2020, which proved difficult for him and his wife Christine who automatically became his carer. Neither had any previous experience with dementia nor being a carer.

Both sought the support of Dementia Oxfordshire, which is connected to Age UK Oxfordshire and funded by Oxfordshire County Council. Glenn is now an ambassador for Dementia Oxfordshire, offering his time to help others who have been diagnosed.

New research by the University of Warwick, supported by Dementia Oxfordshire, is now looking to learn from the experiences of people like Glenn by carrying out a study of the network of support available to people when they are diagnosed with dementia and how these might be improved.

It has the aim of improving the overall aim of improving access to and enhancing available support thus benefitting those living with dementia in Oxfordshire and more widely.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “I hope this new research leads to more positive experiences for people, strengthening our Oxfordshire Way vision to enable people to live happy, independent lives, within their own communities, for as long as possible.”