My wife, Sylvia Cox, who has died of a brain tumour aged 66, was a pioneering figure in the development of person-centred approaches to the care of people with dementia and other complex needs. She was committed to involving people and communities in the planning and provision of good quality services for their own care and support. Her work crossed the boundaries of social work, health and housing, and involved policy development, strategic planning at national and local levels, and evaluation of health and social care.
Sylvia was born in Preston, Lancashire, the oldest of three children of Walter Scott, an engineer in the printing industry, and his wife, Joyce. After the family's move to Belfast when Sylvia was 15, she graduated in English and politics at Queen's University, Belfast, in 1969, and then in 1971 obtained a qualification in social work from Glasgow University. It was there that I met her, and we married a year later.
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