20/05/2026
Dementia Action Week 2026: What Thirty Years in Care Has Taught Us About Dementia
This week, across the UK, communities are coming together for Dementia Action Week — the Alzheimer's Society's annual campaign to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and push for the timely diagnosis and specialist support that every person living with dementia deserves.
At Twelve Trees Care, we have been supporting families affected by dementia since 1996. Over thirty years, we have learned that dementia care is not simply a clinical challenge — it is profoundly human. It asks the very best of families, of carers, and of care providers. And it demands that we never lose sight of the person behind the diagnosis.
The diagnosis gap is real — and it matters
One in three people living with dementia in the UK do not have a formal diagnosis. That means hundreds of thousands of families are navigating one of the most complex, progressive conditions without the support, the planning guidance, or the access to services they need. A timely diagnosis changes what is possible — it gives people agency, it gives families time, and it opens the door to specialist care and advance planning before a crisis forces the conversation.
What good dementia care actually looks like
In our experience, the families who navigate dementia best are those who plan early and who have the right support around them. Good dementia care is not reactive — it is built on relationship, continuity, and deep knowledge of the individual. It means knowing that Margaret always liked Radio 4 in the mornings and that a familiar routine matters more than almost anything else. It means understanding the difference between the distress that comes from unmet need and the behaviour that is part of the condition itself.
Across our two care homes in Sheffield and Leeds — and through our nationwide live-in care service — our teams work with this understanding every single day. Our CQC Good-rated homes offer residential dementia care where people are genuinely known and genuinely valued. Both homes also offer day care with transport included, giving family carers a reliable, structured break whilst their loved one spends a stimulating and sociable day in a specialist environment. Our live-in care team, meanwhile, provides one-to-one specialist support in the place most people with dementia would choose to be — their own home.
For family carers who need a break but don't want to disrupt their loved one's environment, live-in respite care is often the answer that nobody has told them about. A specialist carer moves in temporarily. The person with dementia stays exactly where they are — same home, same routine, same familiar surroundings. The carer gets the rest they need. It works particularly well for people living with dementia, for whom continuity and familiarity are not optional extras but genuine care priorities.
The cost of getting it wrong is enormous
A recent Dementia UK report published in March 2026 highlighted that the mean total cost of care in the last three months of life for people with dementia is over £31,000 — significantly higher when there is an avoidable hospital transition. Early, proactive, community-based dementia care is not only better for the individual — it is better for families and for health systems. It prevents crisis. It preserves dignity. And it is what we are here to provide.
A note to family carers
If you are reading this as someone who is caring for a parent, a partner, or a sibling with dementia — this week is for you too. The research tells us that 71% of dementia carers feel they do not receive enough support. If that is your experience, we want you to know that a conversation with our team costs nothing and carries no obligation. We have been in this work for three decades. We have seen what a difference the right support, at the right time, makes.
This Dementia Action Week, we are wearing our Forget Me Nots with pride — and we are here for every family who needs us.
📞 0330 164 9900 | 🌐 twelvetreescare.co.uk
Twelve Trees Care provides dementia care across Sheffield and Leeds (residential and day care), Sheffield (home care) and nationwide (live-in care and live-in respite). Established 1996. CQC rated Good.
