Table 4 Principles of care of the Oxleas Advanced Dementia Service

A core belief of the Oxleas Advanced Dementia Service is that anyone cared for at home with advanced dementia deserves care co-ordination and on-going support. The service combines mental and physical health expertise, to look competently after patients with advanced dementia living at home and to:

• Comprehensively assess and plan ahead;

• Co-ordinate care;

• Respond quickly when needs are changing;

• Establish a palliative care framework with a focus on maximising quality-of-life, helping to avoid or shorten unnecessary and traumatic hospital admissions, treatments and investigations, and replace them with home care whenever possible;

• Offer excellent care towards the end-of-life;

• Relieve the carer from having to navigate alone within a complex care system while grieving.