Blog
Celebrating UK Grandparents Day: Honouring the Stories That Shape Us
Friday 3rd October 2025
Your Care
Today is UK Grandparents Day - a special moment to celebrate the grandparents who have shaped our families, our communities, and our lives. At Your Care, we have the privilege of supporting grandparents across Bristol and South Gloucestershire every single day. And we know that behind every person we care for is a lifetime of stories, wisdom, and love.
The Grandparents Who Shape Us
Grandparents hold a unique place in our hearts. They're the storytellers who connect us to our family history. The patient teachers who showed us how to bake, garden, or fix things. The safe harbour during childhood storms. The keepers of traditions and the passers-on of wisdom.
For many of us, our grandparents taught us what really matters in life - kindness, resilience, humour, and unconditional love.
But as our grandparents age, and especially when dementia enters the picture, families often worry about losing those connections. Will Grandma still recognise me? Will Grandad remember the stories he used to tell? Can they still live with dignity and joy?
The answer, we've learned through years of personalised dementia care, is yes - absolutely yes.
How Your Care Supports Grandparents to Remain Independent
At Your Care, we believe that a dementia diagnosis doesn't mean the end of independence or identity. It means finding the right person to support someone in living their best life at home for as long as possible.
Matching the Perfect Carer
When we start working with a new client, we spend time with families gathering information about their loved one. This isn't about formal assessments or care plans - it's about finding the perfect match.
We want to know:
- Their life story - where they grew up, their career, their proudest moments
- What's important to them - family, hobbies, daily preferences
- Their personality - are they chatty or quiet? Do they love a laugh? Are they competitive?
- What brings them joy - whether that's watching the birds, doing puzzles, or chatting about the old days
Why? Because we're matching them with a carer who'll feel more like a friend or family member than a care worker. Someone who shares their interests, gets their sense of humour, and genuinely enjoys spending time with them.
This is why our clients often say, "I don't feel like I'm having care - it's just my friend coming round to help."
Enabling, Not Taking Over
Here's what we've learned: older people don't want to feel useless. They don't want someone swooping in and doing everything for them. They want to remain capable, independent, and in control of their own lives.
So our carers don't take over - they enable. If your grandad can still make his own tea but needs someone there for safety, the carer will chat with him whilst he does it. If your grandmother wants to fold the laundry, the carer will fold alongside her, making it a shared activity rather than something done for her.
We're not here to do everything - we're here to help people continue doing what they can, for as long as they can. Because staying active, engaged, and independent is what keeps people living well at home, not deteriorating.
Flexible and Personal
As an introductory agency, we're not bound by rigid procedures or formal care plans. We stay flexible. If your grandad was a keen gardener, we'll match him with a carer who loves gardens too - someone who'll spend time outside with him, talking about plants and seasons. If your grandmother was a teacher, we might match her with a carer who values conversation and storytelling.
It's about creating genuine relationships where both people enjoy the time together. That's when the magic happens - when it stops feeling like "care" and starts feeling like companionship.
The Role of Reminiscence and Storytelling in Care
One of the most powerful tools in dementia care is reminiscence - the act of sharing and reliving memories from the past.
Even when recent memory fades, older memories often remain vivid and accessible. Your grandmother might not remember what she had for breakfast, but she can describe her wedding day in perfect detail. Your grandfather might struggle with names, but he can tell you exactly how to fix a carburettor from his days as a mechanic.
These stories aren't just pleasant nostalgia - they're vital for wellbeing. When people with dementia share their stories, they:
- Feel valued and heard
- Connect to their sense of identity
- Experience moments of clarity and confidence
- Build relationships with carers and other participants
- Pass on their wisdom to the next generation
At Living Well Days, our Tuesday sessions always include time for storytelling and reminiscence. We use photos, music, objects, and conversation prompts to unlock memories and create connections. The laughter, the "I remember when..." moments, the shared experiences - this is where magic happens.
Tips for Families: Making Grandparents Day Special
Whether your grandparent lives independently, receives support at home, or attends a day centre like Living Well Days, here are some meaningful ways to celebrate them today:
1. Ask Them to Tell Their Story
Sit down with a cuppa and ask about their childhood, their first job, how they met their spouse. Record it on your phone if they're comfortable - these recordings become precious family treasures.
2. Look Through Old Photos Together
Dig out the family albums and let them guide you through the pictures. Even if some details are fuzzy, the emotions and connections remain strong.
3. Do Something They Love
Whether it's watching their favourite film, going for a gentle walk, or baking together, spend time doing activities that bring them joy.
4. Share Family News
Tell them about the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and family happenings. Even if they forget the details later, the warm feeling of connection stays with them.
5. Simply Be Present
Sometimes the best gift is your unhurried presence. No agenda, no rushing - just sitting together, holding hands, being there.
6. Create a Memory Book
Start a simple scrapbook or photo album with captions. This becomes a tool for future reminiscence and a way to preserve their stories.
7. Say Thank You
Tell them what they mean to you. Share specific memories of times they helped you, made you laugh, or taught you something important. These words matter more than any gift.
Personalised Care Means Honouring Each Person's Unique Story
At Your Care, we see beyond the diagnosis. We see the grandmother who raised five children whilst working full-time. The grandfather who served in the forces and then built a successful business. The nan who was known for her kindness and her legendary Sunday roasts. The grandad who could fix anything and always had a joke ready.
These stories don't disappear with dementia - they just need the right environment and the right people to help bring them forward.
Our carers take time to learn these stories. They ask questions. They listen. They remember. And they weave that knowledge into every interaction, every visit, every moment spent together.
This is what personalised care truly means - seeing the whole person, honouring their journey, and supporting them to live with dignity, connection, and joy.
Living Well Days: Where Grandparents Thrive
Our Living Well Days programme at Hanham Community Centre is built around this same philosophy. Every Tuesday, we welcome people living with dementia to a day filled with activity, laughter, and genuine connection.
Led by our experienced coaches Jay and Mia, and supported by our caring team, participants enjoy:
- Active sports including archery, golf, rounders, cricket, football, rugby, tennis, badminton, curling, and boules—all adapted for safety
- Old-fashioned sports day activities like egg and spoon races, relay races, and parachute games
- Boxing, darts, and various target games
- Reminiscence sessions that celebrate their life stories
- Social time over coffee and lunch
- A warm, welcoming community where everyone belongs
Families tell us that their loved ones come home from Living Well Days with stories to share, smiles on their faces, and a renewed sense of purpose. One daughter said, "Mum talks about her Tuesday group all week. She's made real friends there. It's given her back a piece of herself."
That's what we're here for - helping grandparents remain connected, active, and valued members of their communities.
This Grandparents Day, Celebrate and Support
Today, we celebrate the grandparents we're privileged to support at Your Care and Living Well Days. We celebrate their stories, their strength, their humour, and their love.
We also celebrate the families who trust us with their care - who partner with us to ensure their loved ones continue to live with dignity and joy.
If you're caring for a grandparent living with dementia, know that you don't have to do it alone. Personalised, flexible support is available right here in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
Get in Touch
Whether you're looking for home support that truly understands your loved one, or a welcoming day centre where they can thrive, Your Care is here to help.
Living Well Days offers free taster sessions so you can see for yourself what makes our approach different. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your family.
Call us on 01179477422 to discuss your loved ones needs.
Your Care provides personalised home support and dementia care across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, including Hanham, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Oldland Common, Cadbury Heath, Downend, and surrounding areas. Our Living Well Days dementia day centre runs every Tuesday at Hanham Community Centre.