By Jayne Connery, Founder, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable
September marks National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month – a time not only to reflect and remember, but to act. Alzheimer’s remains one of the greatest challenges facing our ageing population, not only because of the diagnosis itself but also because of how we, as a society, choose to respond.
For families, the diagnosis changes everything. Life becomes a journey of navigating services, chasing support, and too often confronting barriers that should never be there. For providers, the challenge is equally profound: how to deliver care that balances safety, dignity, and compassion in a sector under relentless pressure.
I hear from families every single day through Care Campaign for the Vulnerable. Their stories are powerful, sometimes heartbreaking, always rooted in love and determination. Above all, families want reassurance: that their loved one is safe, respected, and cared for with dignity.
This September, I want to shine a light on the urgent need for greater openness across the care sector. Transparency does not only protect residents, it protects staff too. It creates an environment where carers feel supported to speak up, where providers can address issues before they escalate, and where families feel included as partners in care.
From the very beginning, I have champione safety-led transparency. I have called for independent, choice-led safety monitoring in dementia care homes, supported carers who bravely speak up about poor practice, and worked alongside forward-thinking providers who understand that openness builds trust. Transparency is not about blame, it is about creating a culture where dignity and safety come first.
Alzheimer’s will touch so many of us in our lifetimes, either directly or through someone we love. The real question is whether we, as a society, are prepared to meet it with honesty, compassion, and the courage to change.
This month, let us do more than raise awareness of Alzheimer’s as a disease. Let us commit ourselves to building a culture of care that is safer, more transparent, and worthy of the people we love.
By Jayne Connery, Founder and Director, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable
