1 degree of separation?

I’ve been thinking about how far dementia really reaches.

When my dad was living at home with dementia, it wasn’t just our family who stepped in. His neighbors became this quiet, caring presence — gently keeping an eye out, tidying his garden when he forgot, letting us know if something seemed off. They didn’t make a fuss. They just looked out for him.

So many people became part of his story — his children and grandchildren, his siblings, the people who helped him cross the road, the taxi driver who brought him home when he got lost. And of course, the carers. But the ripples went far beyond that, touching every small, human interaction.

Looking back, I realise dementia didn’t just affect Dad. It reached everyone who cared about him, however briefly.

Almost everyone I speak to nowadays has a story about how their life has been touched by dementia. Perhaps none of us are really six degrees apart from someone navigating dementia. We’re far more connected than that, and for most of us, it’s just one.