When memory fades, can AI help us deliver more human care?

For someone living with Alzheimer’s disease, the ability to remember, communicate and make sense of the world around them can gradually become more difficult.

But behind every diagnosis is a person with a lifetime of memories, relationships, routines and preferences. Someone whose individuality, dignity and need to feel understood remain, even as their condition progresses.

According to Alzheimer’s Society nearly one million people in the UK are living with dementia, a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

This World Alzheimer’s Month, the international campaign to raise dementia awareness and challenge stigma, the theme “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do: A Dementia Diagnosis Matters” highlights the importance of timely diagnosis and access to the right care and support.

NHS England figures from February 2026 show that approximately one in three people aged 65 and over estimated to be living with dementia in England did not have a recorded diagnosis.

Delays in recognising symptoms, difficulties accessing specialist services and the fear surrounding a diagnosis can all contribute to people missing out on timely care and support.

AI in dementia care is opening up new possibilities, from supporting earlier detection and diagnosis to helping healthcare professionals make more informed decisions.

But receiving a diagnosis is only the beginning. How can we ensure that people living with dementia continue to receive the personalised, compassionate care they need as their condition progresses?

Understanding the person behind the diagnosis

For someone living with dementia, a hospital admission can be particularly challenging. Unfamiliar surroundings, changes in routine and interactions with different healthcare professionals can create confusion and distress.

Families and carers often hold invaluable knowledge about their loved one. They know the small things that bring comfort, the situations that cause distress and the ways to help them feel reassured.

But when someone moves between wards, hospitals or care settings, how do we ensure that understanding moves with them?

Connected healthcare systems can help make important information about a person’s needs, preferences and care history accessible to the professionals caring for them.

And as AI continues to advance, there is an opportunity to explore how technology could help healthcare professionals make better use of that information, supporting more personalised and compassionate care.

Not by replacing human connection, but by helping preserve it.

The opportunity for AI in dementia care

AI is opening up new possibilities in healthcare, including research into earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease and more personalised approaches to care.

Beyond diagnosis, AI could help healthcare professionals navigate complex patient information, identify relevant details about individual needs and support greater continuity as people move between different care settings.

For people living with dementia, this could mean fewer occasions where they or their families need to repeat important information, and a more consistent understanding of their needs throughout their care journey.

But the potential of AI must be balanced with the responsibility to implement it safely and thoughtfully.

Technology should support clinical judgement, protect personal information and be designed around the needs of the people using it.

Most importantly, it should help healthcare professionals deliver care that recognises the individual, not simply their diagnosis.

Keeping people at the centre

At SCFH, we believe successful digital transformation starts with understanding the people it is intended to support.

Our work across digital health, data and technology focuses on helping healthcare organisations deliver more connected, effective and patient-centred care.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare, we have an opportunity to consider how it could support people living with dementia, their families and the professionals caring for them.

Can it help preserve important information about someone’s individual needs? Support more personalised care? Give healthcare professionals more time to focus on the human interactions that matter most?

These are the questions that should guide how we develop and implement AI in healthcare.

Alzheimer’s may change how someone communicates, remembers and experiences the world, but it does not change their need to be understood, respected and cared for.

Supporting people affected by dementia

This World Alzheimer’s Month is an opportunity to raise awareness, challenge stigma and reflect on how we can better support people living with dementia and those who care for them.

To learn more about dementia, access support or make a donation to help those affected, visit Alzheimer’s Society.

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