Raising Dementia Awareness with Phoenix Hospital Group

Earlier this week, I had the honour of delivering two Dementia Friends awareness sessions at Phoenix Hospital Group’s Harley Street facility. With over 20 staff in attendance across two sessions, the atmosphere was engaged, curious, and compassionate—everything you’d hope for in a team responsible for outstanding clinical care.

These sessions are part of a long-standing commitment I’ve made as a Dementia Friends Ambassador with the Alzheimer’s Society. To date, I’ve delivered dementia awareness training to nearly 2,000 people, including care professionals, health teams, and members of the public.

At Home Instead Westminster, we know that understanding dementia goes far beyond clinical knowledge. It requires empathy, insight, and practical tools that empower people to respond appropriately and kindly—especially when behaviours seem difficult to understand.

Key takeaways from the session included:

• Recognising that dementia is not a natural part of ageing

• Understanding common symptoms and how they affect communication

• Why person-centred, relationship-based care makes a real difference

• Tips for supporting someone with dementia in a medical setting

These small steps build a huge foundation of awareness. When hospital staff, care professionals, and families understand what dementia is and how to respond to it, we create safer, more compassionate environments for those living with the condition.

The Phoenix Hospital Group team’s commitment to training and awareness speaks volumes. Their feedback, questions, and open-mindedness were a real testament to the values they bring to patient care. It’s through partnerships like these that we truly begin to change the face of ageing.

If your organisation would like to book a Dementia Friends session, or simply start a conversation about how to make your environment more dementia-friendly, I’d be delighted to help.

Let’s keep moving forward, one conversation at a time.