Dementia Action Week: Supporting people living with Dementia

From 18th to 24th May, people and organisations across the UK are coming together for Dementia Action Week 2026, a national campaign led by Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness, encourage understanding, and help create more dementia-friendly communities.

With nearly 1 million people in the UK currently living with dementia, the week is an important opportunity to shine a light on the realities of dementia, support families and carers, and encourage more open conversations about the condition.

At Radfield Home Care North Leeds & Ilkley, supporting older people to live well at home is at the heart of everything we do. We see every day how compassionate, person-centred support can make a meaningful difference to people living with dementia and those closest to them.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is not a single disease, but a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, communication and daily living skills. There are many different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia.

While memory loss is often the most recognised symptom, dementia can also affect:

• Mood and emotions
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Confidence
• Orientation and awareness
• Daily routines

Every person’s experience with dementia is different, which is why personalised dementia care and understanding are so important.

Why Dementia Action Week matters

One of the biggest aims of Dementia Action Week is to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations around dementia.

For many individuals and families, receiving a dementia diagnosis can feel overwhelming and isolating. But awareness, understanding and community support can help people feel less alone.

At Radfield Home Care, we believe dementia care is about much more than practical support. It’s about preserving dignity, supporting independence, creating meaningful moments, providing reassurance, building trusted relationships and supporting families as well as clients.

Small moments can often make the biggest difference, whether that’s sharing a cup of tea, listening to familiar music, talking about treasured memories or simply spending quality time together.

For many families, dementia care is also about finding meaningful ways to maintain connection and communication.

Simple, familiar prompts such as photographs, music, memory books and conversations about past experience can often provide reassurance, spark recognition and help people feel more connected to the world around them.

Emma (Care Professional) shared how personal experience helped shape her understanding of supporting someone living with dementia:

“Things I’ve learned from working with people with dementia (& more so from personal experience with my dad). Life skills don’t just go away – just approach them in a different way. Make new memories – I made a ‘This is Your Life’ book for my dad so we, and carers had something to start conversations from.”

Supporting people to live well at home

Remaining in familiar surroundings can be incredibly beneficial for someone living with dementia. Home provides comfort, routine and reassurance – all things that can support emotional wellbeing and reduce feelings of confusion or anxiety.

Through our home care services in North Leeds and Ilkley, we support individuals living with dementia in a way that is tailored to their needs, routines and preferences. This can include:

• Visiting care
• Live in care
• Companionship
• Support with daily routines
• Meal preparation
• Medication support
• Community engagement & respite support for families

Our focus is always on supporting people to maintain as much independence and quality of life as possible while continuing to enjoy the comfort of home.

The importance of connection and community

Loneliness and isolation can have a significant impact on people living with dementia and their families. That’s why community connection plays such an important role in wellbeing.

We are passionate about supporting local community initiatives, wellbeing events, and social opportunities that help older people stay connected.

Whether it’s community coffee mornings, wellbeing talks, local support groups, games groups, social lunches or memory-focused activities. These opportunities help create spaces where people feel welcomed, included and valued.

Sharing stories can help build understanding, reduce stigma and remind people that every individual living with dementia has a unique life, history and identity beyond their diagnosis.

What dementia means to our Care Professionals

As part of Dementia Action Week, our Care Professionals have been sharing their thoughts and reflections on supporting people living with dementia. Their words highlight the compassion, patience and connection that sit at the heart of dementia care:

Alice, Care Professional:

• “To me, supporting someone with dementia means helping them feel safe, respected and understood. It’s about being patient, offering reassurance and remembering that even the smallest acts of kindness and familiarity can make a big difference to someone’s day.”

Molly, Care Professional:

• “I think what matters most in dementia care is understanding that everyone experiences dementia differently, which is why person-centred care is so important. Respecting someone’s routines, preferences, boundaries and independence helps build trust, reassurance and a safe environment that positively impacts wellbeing and quality of life.”

Kate, Community Engagement Officer:

• “One small thing I’ve found that really helps people living with dementia is music, they often come alive listening to old favourites. Whether we sing during calls or play music while we work, it can make such a difference.”

Our team sees every day how important empathy, familiarity and companionship can be for individuals and families affected by dementia.

Supporting families and loved ones

Dementia doesn’t just affect one person – it impacts entire families.

Many family members take on caring responsibilities while also balancing work, parenting and their own wellbeing. It can be emotionally and physically demanding, which is why support for carers is so important too.

Having trusted support in place can help provide reassurance, consistency and peace of mind for families navigating dementia care.

We understand the importance of working closely with families to ensure care remains personal, compassionate and tailored to individual needs.

Creating more dementia-friendly communities

Dementia Action Week reminds us that everyone has a role to play in creating more understanding and supportive communities.

Simple actions can make a difference:

• Being patient
• Listening
• Including people in conversations
• Offering reassurance
• Learning more about dementia
• Supporting local dementia organisations and initiatives

Awareness leads to understanding, and understanding helps people feel seen, valued and supported.

Looking ahead

While Dementia Action Week lasts one week, the importance of dementia awareness and support continues all year round.

At Radfield Home Care North Leeds & Ilkley, we remain committed to supporting older people and families across our local communities with compassionate, relationship-led care that focuses on dignity, independence and wellbeing.

Together, we can continue creating communities where nobody faces dementia alone. If you or a loved one are in need of support, or just need some advice, reach out to our friendly team today.