Recognising Opportunities for Connection in Dementia

Over the last few years, there has been a welcome shift in how we talk about dementia.

Increasingly, people are challenging the idea that a person somehow disappears after a diagnosis. We're hearing more about dignity, inclusion, citizenship and the importance of seeing the person rather than the condition.

We wholeheartedly support that shift.

But recently I've found myself reflecting on what comes next. Because believing that connection is possible and experiencing it are not always the same thing.

When my father was living with dementia, I wasn't looking for a theory. I was looking for a way to reconnect with him. Like many family members, I was trying to understand how to navigate moments that felt confusing, repetitive or difficult, while holding on to our relationship.

Over time, I began to notice something.

Many of the moments that others dismissed as symptoms seemed to contain something more. A repeated question could be a search for reassurance. A seemingly random comment could reveal a need, a feeling, or an attempt to connect. Activities often worked not because they exercised memory, but because they created opportunities to participate together.

What changed wasn't my father.

It was how I was looking.

That observation eventually shaped both Timeless Presents and the ideas explored in The Dementia Interface Lens. The question became less "How do we manage dementia?" and more "How do we recognise opportunities for connection and engagement when they appear?"

I've come to believe that many people already possess the compassion and willingness to connect. What they often lack is confidence. They may not recognise the subtle signs of engagement, understand what behaviour is communicating, or know how to create situations where connection can emerge naturally.

This is one of the reasons we design dementia-inclusive activities at Timeless Presents. The activities are the way in, but the learning often carries into other moments. Families, carers and professionals begin to notice things they hadn't noticed before. They discover abilities that remain, preferences that still matter, and opportunities for connection that can easily be missed.

These observations have led me to develop a new online workshop, Exploring Connection and Engagement in Dementia.

Together, we'll explore practical ways to support moments of engagement, understand behaviour differently, and create conditions where meaningful interactions can flourish. The workshop is suitable for family carers, care home staff, healthcare professionals and anyone with an interest in dementia care.

If you'd like to join me, you can find more details and book a place here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1991586122705?aff=oddtdtcreator

We're all on different paths, but I suspect we have much to teach each other.

Sharon DaltreyCo-Founder and Director, Timeless Presents