Driving a Safer, Smarter Future in Dementia Care

CCFTV is incredibly proud to be partnering with the newly launched Care & Dementia Expo — a powerful event created by the merging of UK Care Week and The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Show. This new platform brings together the very best of both worlds: expertise, innovation, lived experience, and a shared determination to transform the future of dementia care.

For me, this is much more than just another event. It’s an opportunity to bring people together -  families, care professionals, providers, policymakers, and innovators,  to have honest conversations about how we deliver care with compassion, transparency, and dignity at its heart. It’s also a vital chance to explore how new technologies and ideas can support people living with dementia and those who care for them.

I founded Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV) over a decade ago after my own deeply personal experience navigating the care system with my mother, who was living with dementia. That journey shaped everything I do today. It taught me the importance of dignity, the power of transparency, and the difference that truly person-centred care can make. What started as a small campaign has grown into a respected national voice,  but at its core, it’s still just me: driven by my mother’s legacy and the many families I continue to support.

Central to my work is advocating for choice-led, independent safety monitoring -  a vital step in safeguarding vulnerable people, many of whom cannot speak for themselves. Safety monitoring is not about blame; it’s about collaboration, trust, and creating care environments where standards are raised and lessons are learned. For those living with dementia, who often struggle to communicate their needs, this kind of transparency can be life-changing.

Events like Care & Dementia Expo are where innovation meets lived experience  and one of the most transformative forces in care today is artificial intelligence (AI). At CCFTV, I am incredibly excited about the work we’re doing with new AI start-ups, advising them on how technology can and should be used in care environments. I’m particularly interested in what I call the “deeper side” of AI,  the more complex capabilities that go beyond convenience and automation. This includes predictive analytics that can identify risks before they occur, behavioural pattern recognition that helps staff respond to dementia-related changes, and systems that support early intervention before a crisis happens.

However, with such powerful technology comes great responsibility. AI must always be used ethically, responsibly, and transparently -  not as a replacement for human care, but as a tool to enhance it. Technology should support carers, not undermine them. It should empower families, not exclude them. And it should always prioritise the safety, dignity, and quality of life of those it’s designed to help.

When used properly, technology and AI can completely reshape dementia care. It can help providers shift from a reactive model to a proactive one, predicting risks, tailoring care to the individual, and allowing people to live with greater independence and dignity. It can reduce pressures on an already stretched workforce, provide families with reassurance, and most importantly, improve outcomes for those living with dementia.

But innovation works best when it’s collaborative. By combining cutting-edge technology with compassion, lived experience, and frontline expertise, we can create practical, meaningful solutions that truly make a difference. That spirit of collaboration is exactly what Care & Dementia Expo represents.

Partnering with this newly merged event is a chance to share the message that has guided me since the beginning: that safety, transparency, and dignity must always sit at the heart of dementia care. It is also an opportunity to look ahead, to celebrate how far we have come and to embrace the possibilities that lie ahead when compassion and innovation work hand in hand.

I look forward to connecting with families, innovators, and sector leaders at Care & Dementia Expo-  to listen, to learn, and to continue championing a safer, smarter, and more ethical future for dementia care. Together, we can ensure that the next generation of care is defined by humanity and innovation in equal measure.