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Care-Informed Innovation: How Lived Experience Is Driving Change in Dementia Care
- One HealthTech
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Earlier this week, I was invited by Ella Moonan-Howard to attend an inspiring showcase hosted by the Alzheimer’s Society Accelerator Programme, featuring startups developing new products and services for people affected by dementia.
What made the event so powerful was how deeply personal many of the innovations were. Most of the founders weren’t coming from a purely commercial or technical background. They were carers, health professionals or family members who had seen first-hand the challenges of navigating dementia care. Their solutions were built from real-world needs and lived experience.
Innovation from the Inside Out
Each of the ventures had a story behind it:
Clearlines was created after the founder struggled to find financial and legal advice while arranging care for a loved one. The platform now works to make access to that support easier and more equitable.
DentaBlue, developed by Molly Baldini, is a minty, sugar-free gummy that helps people with dementia maintain oral hygiene when brushing becomes difficult. The product is both practical and dignified, offering comfort without compromise.
Variment, led by Mai Phan, helps care staff practise communication skills through digital roleplay. It supports more confident, person-centred care while also saving time and costs in staff training.
ACTIONSXR combines nostalgia therapy and virtual reality, helping individuals reconnect with cherished memories and improve emotional wellbeing.
Actryx, founded by Komal Pahwa, uses smart decision-support systems to help care managers handle complex planning tasks like room allocation and emergency scheduling.
Other teams were developing tools to help carers respond to distressed behaviour more effectively, addressing a common challenge in care settings.
Centred Around Real Voices
The room on the day was filled with people who had direct experience of dementia - carers, former nurses, care home managers and people living with the condition themselves. Their presence grounded the event in reality. It was clear these innovations weren’t being developed in a vacuum.
Earlier in the day, the Alzheimer’s Society had organised sessions for the startup teams to meet with care homes from across the region. This gave the founders a chance to share early versions of their ideas and get real feedback from the people who would be using them. It’s rare to see that kind of collaboration happen so early in the development process, and it showed a real commitment to co-creation.
Backing Bold Ideas with the Right Support
The Alzheimer’s Society Accelerator Programme offers up to £100,000 in funding, along with 12 months of support that includes:
Access to dementia and innovation experts
Peer learning with other startups
Opportunities to co-design with people affected by dementia
Help navigating the challenges of getting a product to market
Applications for this year’s cohort are now closed, but the next round opens in August 2025. The programme is open to early-stage businesses that already have proof of concept and are ready to scale. It also actively encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
Why It Matters
What I saw at the event was more than a showcase of clever ideas. It was a gathering of people who genuinely care, who’ve experienced the gaps in the system and decided to do something about it. The innovations were thoughtful, practical and rooted in empathy.
It was also a reminder that the best solutions often come from those who have lived the problem. When we support these voices with the right funding, mentorship and networks, we don’t just create better products but we create change that lasts.