Dementia Action Week 2026
Dementia Action Week is a time to raise awareness of the experiences of people affected by dementia. This year, it takes place from 18 to 24 May.
Held each year across the UK, the week brings together charities, health services, community organisations and local partners to raise awareness, challenge stigma and encourage people to take action.
Caring for someone with dementia can be emotionally and physically demanding. It can often lead to isolation, stress and a decline in mental health and wellbeing.
This Dementia Action Week, we are encouraging Carers to look after themselves too. This includes learning what support is available, finding ways to reduce the impact of caring on their own lives, and recognising the importance of sharing their experiences.
Dementia Carer Support in Action: Adam and Neil’s Story
Adam and Neil Joesbury are brothers who live in Birmingham with their dad Bob.
In 2017 Bob had a bleed on the brain. Bob was referred to a memory clinic and discovered that he’d also had two mini-strokes and was later diagnosed with vascular dementia.
To help Adam try and understand what dementia is and how best to look after Bob, Neil took his brother to some dementia Carer support groups.
Adam, who has a learning disability, struggled with these support groups and found them boring. With the help of a dementia advisor from the Alzheimer’s Society, she devised some practical sessions tailored for Adam to explain what dementia is in a visual way and they’ve really helped him.
Adam said, “First my learning disability wouldn’t let me understand dementia. But doing it with pictures makes it easier. And I like drawing to understand when people are talking to me.”
With this support, Adam and Bob can be independent while Neil is at work. Adam takes his dad shopping and cooks for him. When Bob is at the dementia café, Neil and Adam can enjoy some time together and have a bit of respite. It’s a real team effort and they all look out for each other.
Support from the Community
Neil’s workplace (M&S) is very understanding and allows Neil to have his phone with him on the shop floor, this way, Adam can call him if he’s having a bad day.
As well as a supportive workplace, Neil, Adam and Bob are well-known in their area and are lucky to live in a community where people look out for them.
“We can’t go anywhere,” Adam said, “because someone will recognise Neil and he stands there for half an hour talking!’
Bob went out one day to the cashpoint he usually uses but finding it broken, he went to a different one and got lost. Local businesses know about Bob’s dementia and luckily for him, staff in Iceland knew where he lived and pointed him in the right direction. Although, Bob wears a GPS tracker to give Neil peace of mind while he’s at work, knowing that local shops, pubs and cafés know where they all live is reassuring should Bob ever get lost or Adam needs any help.
Adam and Neil would like people to be more patient and helpful, as they say this makes a huge difference to them.
Read more about their story below, and how you can find support in your role as a Dementia Carer.
What’s on
Check out the events you can get involved in this Dementia Action Week and beyond to see how you can feel healthier and happier in your role as a Dementia Carer.