Engaging Dementia

Engaging Dementia is a registered charity that tackles dementia head on. We provide training and resources for those who care for people with dementia.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

On Tuesday June 9th, 2 Dementia Cafes will take place in County Louth.

The Drogheda Cafe is at 11am in Drogheda Library, Stockwell Lane & the Dundalk Cafe is at 2.30pm in Louth Co Library, Roden Place, Dundalk, Co Louth.

Call in for some chats, fun times and tea of course.

#DementiaCafe,
#DementiaSupportIreland
#CarerSupport
#drogheda
#dundalk
#louth

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

📣Relationships intimacy & emotional connection remain important for people living with dementia.

Learn more in this 40-minute eLearning course from the DSiDC.
👉https://t.co/d8huVkv0Xg

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Carers Week runs from June 8th to 14th. The theme of this year is 'Thank you for Caring' and the objective is to recognise and celebrate the important work done by family carers across the country, to show them appreciation and to encourage wider society to recognise and celebrate the family carers in their families and communities.

There are some great inclusive online and in person events taking place around the country for all family carers. You can check out all of the events here: https://t.co/6vzVA8lhdE

#ThankYouForCaring

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

We have a number of dementia training courses coming up in June & July:

⚫Creating Meaningful Activities on a Budget: Online | Thursday 11th June
⚫Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) Workshop: Online | Friday 12th June
⚫Sonas Licence Renewal Day: Online | Friday 3rdJuly

To find out more about all of our courses and to secure your place, click: https://t.co/T92zXf7w2m

#dementiacare #dementiaresources #dementiatraining

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

There are now 6 Certified Sonas Providers in Ireland:

⚫Sligo Nursing Home (Mowlam)
⚫The Orchard Respite Centre (Mowlam)
⚫Rush Nursing Home (Mowlam)
⚫Leopardstown Care Centre (Mowlam)
⚫Charleville Nursing Home (Mowlam)
⚫Swords Nursing Home & Memory Care Centre (Mowlam)

The Sonas Programme is an evidence-based therapeutic activity designed to support communication and engagement for people living with dementia. Care settings that complete our Sonas Practitioner Training and demonstrate consistent programme delivery earn recognition as Certified Sonas Providers — a mark of quality, compassion, and best practice in dementia care.

This certification assures residents and their families that a nursing home has at least two trained Sonas Practitioners. Certified Nursing Homes will receive a 10% discount on all our courses and on the Annual International Dementia Conference and will receive certification marketing materials to display in their Nursing Home and on their website and will be listed as a Certified Provider on our Website.

If you would like more information about certification click here:
https://t.co/szfsUVTlsl

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Do you have Lewy Body disease or closely support someone living with the condition? The Emerald Lewy Team in Trinity College Dublin are currently seeking volunteers to complete and provide feedback on a peer support programme called The Lewy Lounge.

For further information contact Dr. Emma O Shea: Email [email protected] or call 0857889499.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

St Michael’s Day Care Centre's next Memory Cafe takes place on Tuesday June 2nd, 2026 from 18:30 to 20:30.

This free service will provide an opportunity for people living with memory impairment or cognitive issues to share experiences, make connections, and get reliable information from peers and experts. It will provide a one-stop-shop for information on support services while providing a safe environment for social interaction.

Experiencing memory lost or cognitive issues can be challenging leading to anxiety and ultimate withdrawal into oneself. It is so important to talk to friends, family and resist the urge to withdraw socially. Post-diagnostic support systems give people hope and a platform to focus on what they can do and shift the focus from any limitations. Such supports help those living with these conditions to take control and subsequently living their best life in the finest possible manner.

Meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at St Michael’s Centre their memory cafe will provide a safe supportive peer group for those on this journey and their carers. It is a social platform to exchange experiences and information while receiving advice from relevant specialist and advocates.

Day:
1st Tuesday of each month

Time:
18:30 to 20:30

Venue:
St Michael's Day Care Centre CLG
Portnard Road,
Cappamore
Co. Limerick
V94N1FH

Contacts:
Valerie Clancy, Josephine Ryan
Mobile: [phone]
Landline:061-387965

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

We had a great morning at the Whitehall Colmcille GAA club yesterday while filming a piece about their Making Memories Dementia Cafe. A big thank you to all who took part, the volunteers at the cafe, the club for allowing us to film there, the transition year students, the team from Panoplia Productions and the cafe attendees for being so welcoming.

We are one of the Official Charity Partners of the GAA this year, and we are hoping that this short film will encourage even more GAA clubs to open Dementia Cafes in their communities around the country.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Engaging Dementia & HSE's Dementia: Understand Together have created a booklet, Gardening Together, that shows you how to make your community garden a welcoming space for older people and people living with dementia. It has lots of tips and ideas for anyone planning to make a garden or plan outdoor activities – for people with dementia, their family, friends, carers and supporters.

Creating a garden can bring meaning and happiness into your life. It can help you make new friends and recall happy memories. We know that connecting with nature benefits body, mind and spirit. Many people look to gardening and other outdoor activities to boost their health and wellbeing.

To order a copy of the booklet, click here: https://t.co/GTwFAGQG5x

@dementia_office
@HSE

#UnderstandTogether

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

There are shared reading sessions in Roscommon Library on the second Wednesday of the month at 11am for an hour.

The library group is made up of people living with dementia along with their partners/carers, and it is open to new members.

The sessions are very relaxed and socially focused.

They typically:
-Enjoy a cup of tea, biscuits, and a chat
-Read a short piece of prose and discuss it together
-Finish with a poem

There is no pressure, no preparation, and no homework—just an enjoyable and supportive social experience centred around reading and conversation.

What a lovely way to spend an hour!

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Music in Good Company is a welcoming summer concert series in Limerick designed specifically for people living with dementia, their caregivers, families, and friends. Hosted at the University Concert Hall (UCH), these free lunchtime events run from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

Upcoming Concert LineupThe performances occur on select Wednesdays throughout the early summer:

Wednesday, 27th May: Acoustic, folk, and storytelling featuring singer-songwriter David Hope, Colin Kenny, and Darran Bourke.

Wednesday, 10th June: An intimate afternoon with iconic Irish folk voices Mike Hanrahan and Eleanor Shanley.

Wednesday 1st July: An extraordinary trio featuring Nuala Kennedy (traditional song), Maeve Donnelly (fiddle), and Seán Lyons.

While tickets are free, booking or registering your attendance is recommended through https://t.co/fhaytAF1co or by contacting [email protected]

If you require wheelchair or accessible seating, please contact the Box Office on 061 331549 / [email protected]

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Kim Tully, Engaging Dementia CEO, attended Creative Fingal and the Global Brain Health Institute's talk and discussion around brain health this week.

Curated by Karen Meenan and Mike Hanrahan GBHI fellows and originally commissioned by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the event showcased global and local initiatives in creative arts, dementia, brain health, Parkinson’s, and extended reality (XR), with talks, workshops, and performances aimed at promoting wellbeing through creativity and innovation.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

If you attended the 18th International Dementia Conference, please fill out the survey we emailed to you - or just click here: https://t.co/E6DnxEBJFp

Your insights are incredibly valuable — they help us celebrate what worked well and improve where needed as we plan for next year’s conference.

Thank you for being part of this year’s event, and for helping us make the next one even better!

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Has it really been a week since the Conference? If you have any photographs that you would like us to share on our website, please email: [email protected] and we will upload them across the next couple of weeks to our 18th International Dementia Conference Gallery.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Even more exhibitors ❤️ If you're interested in exhibiting at the conference in 2027, email [email protected] today. We would love to explore sponsorship and exhibition opportunities with you.

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

We were delighted to welcome The Access Group, our Charity Partner for 2026, to the International Dementia Conference last week in Athlone.

The Access team volunteers were essential to keeping the event running smoothly and seamlessly and it was a pleasure to meet them all 🧡

@TheAccessGroup

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

A Massive Thank You to Our Incredible Volunteers! 🙌💙

A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who supported the 18th International Dementia Conference last week in Athlone.

We truly couldn’t have done it without your help, energy, and enthusiasm — you were an essential part of making the event such a success!

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for older people and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage speaking at the 18th International Dementia Conference hosted by Engaging Dementia, supported by Dovida Ireland.

The Minister has pledged to have 7 more memory assessment clinics open this year nationally. He stressed that within the Programme for Government that all public nursing homes will have dementia-specific units. He also highlighted the 14 modifiable risk factors that we should all be aware of in the prevention of dementia.

The Minister has pledged that his department will work in a structured way to improve all areas that impact people living with dementia including prevention, diagnosis, acute care, home supports, residential care and end-of-life palliative care.

@kodonnellLK
@DovidaIreland

#DementiaCare #DementiaAwareness #MemoryAssessment
#OlderPersonsCare #StJosephsCentre Kieran O'Donnell Engaging Dementia

[Engaging Dementia @EngagingDemIrl]

A big thank you to all our Exhibitors, Supporters and Sponsors without whom, we would not be able to put on such a comprehensive programme of speakers, workshops and presentations.