News Six innovations with a mission to reduce hospital admissions for people living with dementia 12 March 2026 Share Share on Linkedin Share on X Share via email News Ageing well A recent dementia webinar showcased six innovations that aim to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and improve care for people living with dementia (PLWD). The session featured insights from academic and clinical leaders alongside six companies and organisations developing real-world solutions for dementia care. Their innovations are detailed below and range from home lighting systems to improve sleep quality to bite-sized education for health and care workers. The event formed part of the wider effort to support the NHS’s Fit for the Future Dementia Mission, which aims to reduce hospital-based dementia care by at least 30% by 2029. The webinar was a collaboration between Health Innovation Networks in the South East. Patients’ voice – the need for dementia-aware services The webinar launched with a powerful video featuring a couple living with early-onset dementia. John and Joyce reflected on the mixed reality of accessing health and care after John’s early‑onset dementia diagnosis. While they valued the supportive diagnosis process and the continued involvement of the Alzheimer’s Society, they were surprised by how limited NHS follow‑up was, with John quickly discharged back to GP care. Although their GP has been responsive, hospital care proved far more difficult, with poor communication, missing dementia‑specific support, and Joyce left to advocate for John during periods of extreme anxiety and illness. The couple highlight how fragmented systems, unclear pathways and inaccessible information place heavy reliance on informal carers, and stress the need for simpler, better‑joined‑up and more dementia‑aware services. John (person living with early-stage dementia) “If I didn’t have Joyce supporting me, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate all that.” Meet the innovators Please note, while the Health Innovation Network gives a platform for innovators to share their solutions and connect with the health and care system, we do not endorse individual providers. Dementia Care Coordinators (Kent & Medway) The Dementia Care Coordinator (DCC) model in Kent and Medway is transforming dementia care through proactive, integrated support across primary, community, mental health, acute and voluntary services. With 28 coordinators in place – all aligned to a Primary Care Network – the service provides a consistent, person-centred point of contact that helps prevent crises, avoid hospital admissions and support earlier discharge. The model has recently expanded into A&E departments. Visit the Dementia Care Coordinators website Kneu Health Kneu Health is a smartphone-based platform designed by neurologists to support dementia diagnosis, early intervention and ongoing monitoring. Combining digital cognitive assessments, motor analysis, wellbeing tracking and AI‑powered insights, Kneu offers clinicians a detailed, longitudinal picture of a person living with dementia’s condition. A companion app supports carers with tailored education, burden monitoring and signposting. Visit the Kneu Health website Minder (UK Dementia Research Institute) Minder is an advanced home-monitoring system that uses passive sensors and clinically validated algorithms to track wellbeing, safety and functional changes in people living with dementia. By alerting services to changes early, Minder supports out‑of‑hospital care and helps people remain safely at home for longer. It is already being tested within NHS services as part of a proactive monitoring approach in research settings. Find out more about Minder 6D Dementia 6D Dementia provides accessible, bite‑sized dementia education designed for the cross‑sector workforce, from acute hospitals to community care. By improving understanding of dementia-related behaviours and support needs, the platform helps reduce distress, delayed discharge, care breakdown and staff burnout, while improving outcomes for PLWD and their families. Visit the 6D Dementia website Circadacare Circadacare delivers circadian lighting solutions that help address common dementia-related challenges such as disrupted sleep, sundowning and behavioural changes. By stabilising circadian rhythms and improving sleep quality, the technology supports carers, reduces evening and night-time distress and risk of falls, and helps prevent breakdown in home-based care. Medway’s Kyndi has deployed the technology across local services with positive results. Visit the Cicardacare website MediBioSense – VitalPatch VitalPatch by MediBioSense is a discreet, wearable vital-sign monitoring device capable of continuously tracking key health indicators for seven days without user input. Its simplicity and passive design make it especially valuable for PLWD who may struggle with more complex devices. VitalPatch supports virtual wards, falls assessment and remote monitoring pathways, and is already used globally across health and care systems. Visit the VitalPatch website A shared mission for better dementia care Kath Sykes, Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex Aging-well lead and webinar chair – “Across all presenters, a clear message emerged: innovation in dementia care must be person-centred, simple, and designed for the realities of people’s homes and everyday lives. Technology alone is not enough, success requires embedded human support, integrated pathways, and collaborative system-wide working.” The showcase highlighted both the promise of technology and the need for thoughtful implementation, ensuring solutions are accessible, safe, sustainable and aligned with the needs of people living with dementia and those who support them. If you’d like more information about any of the innovations featured, other innovations supporting this space, or to explore opportunities to collaborate, please get in touch with Kath Sykes.