How Often Do We Really Talk About Dementia?
Raising awareness and sharing local voices for World Alzheimer’s Month 2025 in Manchester.
World Alzheimer’s Month 2025 at Home Instead Manchester Central & Tameside
Every September, World Alzheimer’s Month brings communities together to raise awareness and spark important conversations. At Home Instead Manchester Central & Tameside, we are proud to be part of this global initiative, sharing real stories and personal reflections that bring dementia care to life in our area. Throughout the month, our team is taking part in local events, encouraging open dialogue, and highlighting experiences from both Care Professionals and the families we support. This year’s theme, Ask About Dementia, inspires us to open up, ask thoughtful questions, and strengthen understanding. Because dementia awareness grows when we create space for honesty, empathy, and human connection.
In this blog, we explore how Home Instead Manchester Central is recognising World Alzheimer’s Month, how you can take part locally, and why these conversations matter now more than ever.
What Is World Alzheimer’s Month?
World Alzheimer’s Month is a global awareness campaign that takes place every September. Organised by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), it aims to improve public understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
At the heart of the campaign is World Alzheimer’s Day, which falls on Sunday, 21st September 2025. It’s a moment for communities to come together in remembrance, advocacy, and hope. While dementia is now the UK’s leading cause of death, support services are still uneven and stigma continues to prevent open discussion.
This year’s theme, #AskAboutDementia, urges us all to speak up, to ask, to listen, and to learn.
What We’re Doing at Home Instead Manchester Central
As a local home care provider, we believe meaningful change begins close to home. Throughout September, our office will be marking World Alzheimer’s Month with a range of awareness activities designed to start conversations, both within our team and across the communities we serve.
We’re currently inviting our Care Professionals, office staff, and clients to share personal reflections and insights about living with or supporting someone with dementia. These stories, shared with consent, will be featured in our newsletters and social media channels to help break down barriers and promote understanding.
We’ll also be creating an “Awareness Wall” in our office, where team members can add thoughts, memories, or facts they’ve learned through their work. It’s a simple but powerful way to reinforce that we’re all still learning, and that asking questions is how care improves.
Why It Matters in Manchester Central & Tameside
In our area alone, hundreds of families are navigating the complexities of dementia care. Whether they’re supporting a parent with early-onset Alzheimer’s or helping a partner through memory loss and confusion, their challenges are real and often go unseen in daily life.
World Alzheimer’s Month gives us a chance to make these challenges visible. It also allows us to shine a light on the people providing support, be they professional carers, family members, or neighbours.
At Home Instead Manchester Central & Tameside, we’re proud to offer personalised, at-home dementia care that focuses on dignity, safety, and daily comfort. But we also understand that care is only one part of the equation. Awareness, understanding, and community education are just as important.
How You Can Get Involved Locally
Here are some simple, practical ways you can take part in World Alzheimer’s Month, right here in Manchester Central:
1. Start a Conversation
Have a chat with a neighbour, friend, or colleague. Ask if they’ve ever supported someone with dementia. Listen. Learn. Share what you know. These conversations help normalise the condition and help people feel more supported and less alone following a diagnosis.
2. Attend or Organise a Memory Walk
Memory walks are taking place across Greater Manchester this September. They’re a great way to honour those affected by dementia and raise funds for care services. We’re currently exploring options to join or host a walk in Tameside or central Manchester, stay tuned on our social channels for details.
3. Share Your Story Online
Whether you’re a family carer or a Care Professional, your experience matters. Post on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn using the hashtags #AskAboutDementia and #WAM2025. Or, send your story to us directly, and we’ll share it on our official Home Instead Manchester Central pages (with permission, of course).
4. Volunteer or Fundraise
Why not host a dementia-friendly coffee morning at your local church, school, or workplace? You could also run a small fundraiser to support local memory cafés or dementia charities. Every contribution helps.
Recognising the Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
As part of this year’s campaign, we’re encouraging everyone to learn more about the signs of dementia. Early recognition can lead to earlier support and improved quality of life.
Here are some common signs to look out for:
- Memory loss affecting daily routines
- Trouble solving problems or planning
- Difficulty following familiar steps
- Confusion about time or place
- Struggling to find words
- Withdrawal from social interaction
- Poor judgement or decision-making
- Shifts in mood or social habits
- Losing things and being unable to retrace steps
- Vision and spatial difficulties
If someone you know is showing several of these symptoms, encourage them to speak to their GP.
Looking After Your Brain
While there is no cure yet, research shows that certain lifestyle choices may help reduce the risk of developing dementia later in life. These include:
- Regular physical activity
- A balanced diet
- Staying mentally active
- Maintaining strong social connections
- Managing blood pressure and cholesterol
We’re sharing these messages throughout the month via leaflets and digital resources for our clients and their families. Small steps taken early in life, or continued into later years, can make a real difference.
Trusted Sources of Information
If you’d like to learn more about dementia, seek support, or find out how you can help, here are some excellent resources:
- Alzheimer’s Society –www.alzheimers.org.uk
Dementia Support Line: 0333 150 3456 - Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) –www.alzint.org
- Home Instead Manchester Central & Tameside –
Website:https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/manchester-central-tameside
Phone: 0161 870 1136
If you’re caring for someone with dementia and need help at home, please don’t hesitate to contact our team.
Final Thought: Every Question Matters
At Home Instead Manchester Central, we’ve always believed that care starts with understanding. And understanding starts with asking.
This World Alzheimer’s Month, we’re asking: What does dementia mean in our community? How can we support each other better? And who still feels unheard?
Join us in making dementia a subject we talk about, not whisper around. Let’s raise awareness not just in headlines, but in homes, workplaces, classrooms, and cafés.
Because here in Manchester Central & Tameside, we know that the first step toward better care is simply starting the conversation.
