The WOW Guide: Helping Our Community Stay Better Informed in Later Life
At Home Instead Oxford, we believe that supporting people in later life starts long before care is needed. Often, the biggest challenge for older adults and their families is simply knowing what help, activities, and support exist within their community.
That belief is one of the reasons we created the WOW Guide, which continues to play an important role in our Later Life, Better Informed campaign.
A trusted local resource
For more than three years, our WOW Guide has been helping connect people to support across the community.
Each guide brings together a wide range of local information designed to support older adults, families, and professionals stay connected and living life to the fullest, and finding networks of likeminded individuals.
Over the years, the WOW Guide has become well known among local professionals, who regularly share it within their own networks to support the people they work with, including Parish Councils, Dementia Oxfordshire, Medical Professionals and the Oxford DAA. That collaborative approach reflects something we care deeply about — supporting later life is a shared community effort.
What the WOW Guide includes
The WOW Guide is more than just a list of services — it’s a practical, easy-to-use roadmap to living well in later life. Each guide brings together a wide range of local opportunities and resources designed to support older adults, families, and professionals. It includes:
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Community groups and social activities – from lunch clubs and hobby groups to befriending schemes, these help people stay connected, build friendships, and combat loneliness, which is essential for mental and emotional wellbeing.
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Exercise and movement classes – gentle fitness, yoga, or walking groups support physical health, mobility, and balance, which can help reduce falls and keep people independent for longer.
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Dementia-friendly support – including memory cafes, activity sessions, and specialist advice, empowering people with memory changes and their families to maintain routines and confidence.
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Wellbeing and mental health resources – mindfulness, creative arts, and support networks that nourish the mind, reduce stress, and contribute to a sense of purpose.
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Local charities and organisations – helping people access practical assistance, advice, and advocacy when needed.
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Advice and guidance for everyday life – from transport and financial support to home adaptations, giving families and older adults the information they need to make informed decisions.
By keeping people active, connected, and engaged, the WOW Guide doesn’t just provide information — it actively supports wellbeing. Staying socially connected, mentally stimulated, and physically active can delay the need for formal care, help maintain independence, and improve quality of life. For many, the guide is a trusted companion, offering reassurance that help, support, and opportunity are never far away.
Supporting the “Later Life, Better Informed” campaign
Our Later Life, Better Informed campaign is built on the idea that people make better decisions about ageing when they have access to clear, supportive information.
Too often, families tell us they didn’t realise what support existed until they were facing a difficult situation. The WOW Guide helps bridge that gap by making local information easy to find and easy to understand.
It supports people to:
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stay independent for longer
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remain connected to their community
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access support earlier
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feel more confident navigating later life
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understand what options are available before care is needed
In many ways, the WOW Guide has been quietly supporting this mission for years.
A community effort
The WOW Guide would not be what it is without the local organisations, community groups, healthcare professionals, and charities who contribute to and share it. Their willingness to collaborate and support one another reflects the strength of the Oxford and West Oxfordshire communities.
We are proud to continue developing and sharing the guide as part of our commitment to helping people live well in later life.
