UK Dementia Congress 2026 Current Programme Now Available
Please check in regularly with this page as further details of presentations, mini-presentations and posters will become available over the next weeks.
10:00 am – 11:30 am: Welcome
Setting the Scene
Join us at the opening session in the Exhibition Hall to set the scene on an exciting two days!
Welcome to 20th Anniversary UK Dementia Congress
Welcome to Congress from Headline Sponsor, Sensio
Welcome to Congress from our Academic Partner, York St John University
David Sheard
Experts By Experience
Lived Experience
David Truswell, Director of Dementia in Dub, in conversation with Ronald Amanze, a music producer living with dementia, sharing personal insights and experiences of living well with the condition.
One minute. One question. Many powerful voices.
Ahead of UKDC’s 20th Anniversary Conference, we asked people living with dementia a simple but important question: “What needs to change in dementia care?”
Their responses have been woven into a moving short film that shines a light on the issues, priorities and aspirations that matter most to them. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from people with lived experience and gain valuable insights into how dementia care can be improved for the future.
Valuing Different Voices in Dementia Care: An academic view of intersectionality
Jill Manthorpe
Professor Manthorpe will explore intersectionality, a term used to describe how different aspects of a person’s life, such as their age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, health, finances and family circumstances, can come together to shape their experiences. In dementia care, understanding intersectionality can help us recognise that people are affected by dementia in different ways and may face different barriers to accessing support. By recognising these differences, we can work towards dementia care that is fair, inclusive and responsive to individual needs.
12:00 pm – 1:10 pm: Parallel 1
1.1: York St John Symposium One
David Sheard
Dave Wilson Wynne
1.2: Staff Development in Care Homes
Lisa Delaney
Gavin Pathmarajan
Dr Isabelle Latham
1.3: Communication and Connection
Jennifer MacRitchie
Farah Hariss
Sue Egersdorff
Claire Craig
1.4: Mini Presentations Group 1
1:20 pm – 2:05 pm: Lunchtime Sessions 1
0.11: Lunchtime Workshop
0.12: Electronic Posters
2:10 pm – 3:10 pm: Panel Debate
Is social care fit for the future of dementia care?
The future of dementia care depends on a social care system that can meet the needs of an ageing population, but are we there yet? A compelling discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and reforms needed to create a social care system that truly supports people living with dementia.
Drawing on their expertise and experience, the panel explore what a future-fit model of care should look like, examine the barriers facing the sector today, and consider the actions needed now to drive meaningful and lasting change.
A thought-provoking conversation. A challenge to the status quo. A vision for the future of dementia care.
Professor Sir Patrick Vernon OBE FRHistS chairs an expert panel for a lively discussion on the future of Dementia Care
Dr Karan Jutlla Associate Professor (Reader) in Dementia Care and Inclusion at the University of Wolverhampton
Dr Zena Aldridge RMHN MA QN FRSA Consultant Editor of RCN Nursing Older People and an Independent Dementia Nurse Consultant
Liz Jones, Deputy CEO and Policy Director, National Care Forum
Michael Antrobus, CQC
3:20 pm – 4:30 pm: Parallel 2
2.1: NaDCAS Symposium: Dementia Care Accreditation
Josefine Funder Nissen
Dr Aggeliki Koufou
Kate Thubron
Lucy- Eve Munn
Hannah Mulholland
2.2: Young Onset Dementia (1)
Gerald King
Catherine Kiely
Michael Booth
Kelly Mills
Sophie Dodsworth
2.3: Family Carers in Conversation
Family Carers
Frances Lawrence
2.4: Two Point Four
5:00 pm – 6:10 pm: Parallel 3
3.1: A panel discussion on co-producing Community Technology Hubs
3.2: Rethinking dementia care in acute hospitals
3.3: Staff Development in Care Homes: Evidence, Outcomes and Practice
Ian James
Mitchell Orlu
Reinhard Guss
Ankita Arora
Jo-Anne Wilson
Lynn Bassett & Dr Judith Bond
3.4: Voices, Verse and Melody: Creativity in Dementia Care
Sarah Lawrance
Dr Anna Goulding
Prof Alan Williams
Helen Beaumont
Douglas Noble
Fiona Costa
Gareth Williams
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm: 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Dementia Disco
Join us for networking, a delicious 2-course meal, and then boogie the night away with Dementia Disco!
8:45 am – 9:30 am: Early Bird Sessions
1: Creativity in Care Homes
2: Circle Dance for People Living with Dementia
3: Dementia and Behaviour
4: Technology Hub
Dr Henry Collingham
Prof Arlene Astell
9:45 am – 11:30 am: Tom Kitwood Memorial Address
Looking Back Without Nostalgia, Looking Forward Without False Optimism
As UK Dementia Congress marks its 20th anniversary, the 2026 Tom Kitwood Memorial Address brings together leading voices from across dementia care to reflect on the progress, challenges and future direction of the sector.
Together, the speakers consider what the dementia community can learn from its past, how it can confront the realities of the present with honesty, and how it can look to the future with ambition grounded in realism. In doing so, they honour Kitwood’s legacy while challenging the sector to define what meaningful progress should look like in the decades ahead.
Chaired by Professor Graham Stokes, Honorary Visiting Professor of Person-Centred Dementia Care at the University of Bradford, the session explores dementia care through three interconnected perspectives: the past, the present and the future.
Professor Dawn Brooker looks back on two decades of change, examining the enduring influence of Tom Kitwood’s groundbreaking vision of person-centred care. Her reflections explore how far the sector has come, which ambitions have been realised and what challenges continue to persist.
Focusing on the present, Paul Edwards, Chief Nursing Officer at Dementia UK, considers the realities of dementia care and support today. Drawing on lived experience, he highlights how services are experienced by people living with dementia and those who care for them.
Looking ahead, Professor Jeremy Isaacs, National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health at NHS England, explores the opportunities, risks and priorities likely to shape dementia care over the next twenty years.
12:00 pm – 1:10 pm: Parallel 4
4.1: Young Onset Dementia (2)
Dr, Alison Beard
Ross Horsley
Reinhard Guss
Ruth Eley
Carer – to be confirmed
Victoria Owen
4.2: Technology, Taboos and Open Conversations
Rasa Mikelyte
Mr Keith Oliver
Mary-Joy Albutt
Martin Robertson; Gill Ashington
Krystyna Mitchell
Jo Hadfield-Cubbin
Catherine Wood
4.3: Co-producing Activity and Engagement in Care Homes
Bethany Morgan Brett
Arlene Astell
Amelia Greenwood
Dr Isabelle Latham
Anqa Kaleem Tirmazee
Hilary Woodhead
4.4: Beyond the Diagnosis – Building Networks, Connection and Inclusive Support
Dave Green
Sophie Elliott
Dr Karan Jutlla
Kathleen Dickinson
Helen Bell
2:10 pm – 3:20 pm: Parallel 5
5.1: York St John Symposium Two
Professor Divine Charura MBE
5.2: Cultivating Champions: Staff Development and Compassionate Support in Care Homes
Rachael Savage
Ruth Eley
Cathrina Moore
Penny Johns
Esmiranda Mensah
Dr Frances Duffy
5.3: Music, Culture and Media in Dementia Care
Ayokunmi Ojebode
Christelle Tulia
Rebecca Kennedy
Lisa Ruffell
Andy Bradshaw
Cllr Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed
Ellie Robinson-Carter
Ronald Amanze
5.4: Mini Presentations: Group 2
3:30 pm – 4:40 pm: Parallel 6
6.1: Six Point One
6.2: From Crisis to Connection: Evolving Dementia in Care Mental Health Settings
Dr Juliet Gillam
Dr Rosie Dunn
Dr Rosie Dunn
Faye Watson
Member of the Inpatient Dementia Experience Group
Adele Olphert (Co-facilitator) Luke Doherty (Co-facilitator)
6.3: Cultivating Connections: Nature, Sports and Therapeutic Activity
Debbie Carroll
Marie Poole
Nicky Taylor
Ali Rogan
Jack Pickford-Brake
Jane Ward
6.4: Family Carer Wellbeing
Rachel Thompson
Rachel Korosi
Debbie Kassas
Sara Jones
Jo Dawson
Lucy Chamberlain
Safia Seini
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UKDC 20th Anniversary Conference: Lived Experience Takes Centre Stage
Join us in Doncaster as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the UK Dementia Congress (UKDC) with a conference programme that places the voices of people affected by dementia at the heart of the conversation. Bringing together people living with dementia, family carers, health and social care professionals, researchers and academics, this year’s event will…
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Reimagining Social Care for a Future with Dementia
The future of dementia care depends on a social care system that can meet the needs of an ageing population, but are we there yet? Join Dr Karan Jutlla, Associate Professor (Reader) in Dementia Care and Inclusion at the University of Wolverhampton, and Dr Zena Aldridge RMHN MA QN FRSA Consultant Editor of RCN Nursing…
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Is Social Care Fit for the Future of Dementia Care?
Don’t miss this important debate on the future of dementia care. As demand for dementia support continues to grow, how can social care adapt to meet the challenges ahead? Professor Sir Patrick Vernon OBE FRHistS, Pro-Chancellor for Health at the University of Wolverhampton, Chair of Hackney Thinking Spaces, Convenor of the Windrush 100 Network, Chair…
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Tom Kitwood Memorial Address: Looking Back Without Nostalgia, Looking Forward Without False Optimism
As UK Dementia Congress marks its 20th anniversary, the 2026 Tom Kitwood Memorial Address will bring together leading voices from across dementia care to reflect on the progress, challenges and future direction of the sector. Chaired by Professor Graham Stokes, Honorary Visiting Professor of Person-Centred Dementia Care at the University of Bradford, the session will…
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Dementia Care – Getting it Right for Everyone
Our thought-provoking opening session will focus on inclusion, lived experience and ensuring dementia care meets the needs of all communities. David Truswell, Director of Dementia in Dub, in conversation with Ronald Amanze, a music producer living with dementia, sharing personal insights and experiences of living well with the condition. An exclusive film featuring the voices…
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