DEMENTIA ACTION WEEK 18-24th MAY 2026
3 min read
They Haven’t Forgotten Who They Are.
And neither should we.
For Dementia Action Week – on the person behind the diagnosis, the power of home, and what it means to truly see someone.
The forget-me-not was chosen as the symbol of dementia awareness for a reason. Don’tforget us. Don’t let us disappear. Keep seeing us – even when seeing us gets harder. This Dementia Action Week, we want to say exactly that.
A dementia diagnosis changes the name we give to someone. It does not change who they are. The person who raised you, who danced at your wedding, who made the same Sunday recipe for thirty years – they are still there. Dementia changes how they reach you. It doesn’t change the fact that they are trying.
Understanding that – really holding onto it through the difficult days – is one of the hardest and most important things a family can do.
Home isn’t just a building. For someone with dementia, it’s the walls that still remember who they’ve always been.
People in the UK are living with dementia today.
1 in 3 people with dementia do not yet have a formal diagnosis. Earlier diagnosis means earlier support – and more time living well.
When someone with dementia remains in their own home – surrounded by their photographs, their familiar smells, their chair by the window, the garden they’ve tended for decades — something in them stays more settled. The brain may be losing its filing system. But the body still knows it is safe.
Moving someone with dementia into unfamiliar surroundings can accelerate confusion and distress in ways families don’t always anticipate. Home, even as care needs grow, is often the kindest place to be. Not because it’s easy. Because it’s theirs.
Keeping someone where their heart belongs. When you live with dementia, that matters more than almost anything else.
WHAT FAMILIES TELL US MATTERS MOST IN DEMENTIA CARE
A carer who learns their person’s stories — so they can gently bring them back when the world feels confusing.
Consistency above everything – the same faces, the same rhythm, the same cup of tea made the same way. Routine is an anchor when memory fails.
Someone who never argues with the confusion – who meets the person where they are, with patience and without correction.
The certainty that dignity doesn’t get suspended because someone can’t remember your name today.
Burley’s Dementia Care At Home – What This Looks Like in Practice
Dementia Friends trained
Every carer trained by the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme – genuine understanding, not just a checklist.
Live-in dementia care
One consistent carer, building the familiarity and trust that makes a profound difference as the condition progresses.
Personalised care plans
Built around who the person is – their history, routines, preferences, and the things that still bring them joy.
Family partnership
We work alongside families – honest updates, open communication, and a shared commitment to the person’s whole wellbeing.
Our carers understand that a confused afternoon doesn’t define the day. That the person in front of them has lived a whole, remarkable life – and deserves to be treated with the same dignity on a difficult Tuesday as on their best day ever.
This Dementia Action Week – wear your forget-me-not. Share someone’s story. And if your family is navigating dementia right now and you’re not sure where to turn, please reach out. You don’t have to do this alone.
Tell us about the person behind the diagnosis.
Their name. Something they loved. Something that made them, them. We want to hear – and so does everyone else reading this.
Drop it in the comments. Let’s remember them together.
Specialist dementia care at home – Hampshire, Dorset & Wiltshire.
From regular visiting care to full live-in support, we build care around the person – not just the condition. Start with a free, no-obligation assessment.