Dementia Action Week 2026, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, runs from Monday, 18th May to Sunday, 24th May 2026. Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. This UK-wide campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage action to improve the lives of those affected. It is estimated that one million people will be living with the condition by the end of 2026.
Nightingale Hammerson is on a journey to provide evidence based high quality dementia care across Nightingale House and Hammerson House, Wohl Campus. Part of this journey includes an accreditation programme with the National Care Accreditation scheme (NaDCAS).
The engagement teams at our homes are at the heart of our care for Residents living with dementia. The work of Joanna Piotrowicz, Engagement Lead on Audrey and Pat Households at Hammerson House, is built around creating meaningful activity programmes and spending time working directly with Residents. Joanna supports the care team and delivers training to teams and volunteers, helping them understand how to truly connect on a human level. She walks alongside families, supporting relatives as they navigate the emotional journey with their loved ones.
“I truly love being with people, being present, and being there for them. It doesn’t matter to me if someone is living with dementia or not.” Joanna shares. “I never see a diagnosis, I see a person. A whole person, with a story, emotions, abilities and with so much still to give.”
Even the simplest activities carry purpose. What might look like a playful game like pinching pegs from a t-shirt is actually something so much more. It’s about maintaining strength, independence and dignity. By training their fingers Joanna and her team are helping to maintain dexterity and flexibility, necessary for self-care tasks like buttoning clothes, holding a cutlery, feeding themselves and helping the Residents to stay connected to their everyday life.
“These small activities are never small,” Joanna confides. “They can be immensely complex for some people. And, what stays with me the most are the moments of pure emotion. A smile. A laugh. A spark in someone’s eyes. Even if it lasts just a few seconds. Being part of that is not something I take lightly. It’s a privilege. A real, deep privilege.”
Sometimes people say to Joanna, ‘Why do you do all of this? They won’t remember.’ She agrees it is true the Residents living with dementia will most likely not remember the activity or the conversation. Yet Joanna truly believes that although the Residents might forget what she said and they might forget what they did, they will never forget how she makes them feel.
“And if I can make someone feel joy, comfort or simply less lonely, even for a moment, then that means everything to me.”
Flower arranging is a popular activity for Residents on Audrey and Pat Households.
“We have Residents at different stages of dementia, and I tailor the activities according to their abilities.”
One Resident with mild dementia can prepare the table for flower arranging, help gather the Residents together and even support her with tasks. Joanna explains how for Residents with more complex needs, it may simply be touching a petal, choosing a colour. The expectation is not about creating a beautiful display, although if that happens Joanna is always thrilled, but more about involving the Residents on various levels, be it social, physical or evoking memories. The act of simply picking a flower and placing it in a vase can be a complex activity for certain Residents.
Twice a month Joanna brings a joy trolley decorated in bright colours onto the dementia friendly households. She dresses up as an ice cream vendor, plays music and offers scoops of ice cream to the Residents. Joanna encourages them to stand in line as if they are queuing for an ice cream at the seaside. The aim of the activity is to create a real, lived experience and foster memories of being at the seaside.
Another activity was to create a ‘dressing up’ day. Joanna brought in fancy clothes and jewels and the Residents were dressed up as if for a party.
“When I asked a Resident how he feels about dressing up and having a party, he told me he wanted to take the beautiful lady with the lipstick out for dinner!”
These types of activities can cause strong feelings in Residents and the emotions that arise promote feelings of happiness.
Joanna has a strong relationship with the Residents on the households. When certain Residents in moments of lucidity let her into their hearts, she knows she is doing something right.
“I don’t come into my work expecting big, spectacular outcomes. I’ve learned that the smallest moments often mean the most. For one person, painting a beautiful picture might be a huge achievement. For another, simply organising colours or holding a brush can be just as meaningful. And in those moments, I feel the same joy, the same pride, the same sense of celebration because each of them matters deeply.”
From spring onwards, Joanna takes some of the Residents from Audrey and Pat Households to Kenwood House. Most of them remember Kenwood as they lived close by and have memories from their past which are reignited when they recognise their surroundings. Sometimes Residents who can be quiet on the household, suddenly appear more vibrant when they visit Kenwood.
“It is almost like pressing a button on their stored memories as they recall visiting Kenwood with their children,” Joanna says. “This can be very moving to witness.”
Other activities include Bollywood and Sri Lanka performances and workshops. Some Residents hold instruments and take part as much as they are able to, whilst others hold ribbons and feel the textures. Joanna includes the care team in these activities to feel the experience of joy and happiness the activities generate.
“If the care teams are involved and enjoy the activities then the Residents can only benefit.”
For Joanna, working at Hammerson House is more than work, it is an honour. “Working with people isn’t just my job, it’s something that comes from my heart. We share moments that often can’t even be put into words. That genuine connection, that moment of trust is something incredibly powerful.”
