The Happiness Programme on World Alzheimer’s Day: Global reach, personal touch

Whether it’s a resident in a care home in rural Wales, a patient in a hospital in Ontario, Canada, or a visitor in a library in Dublin, the Programme gives you the tools to make each interaction feel personal, familiar, and deeply human. In a world where Alzheimer’s can make the familiar feel distant, we bring closeness. We know that care should never feel generic, even when delivered at scale.

Breaking down barriers, building connection

Across cultures and communities, the Happiness Programme is helping to dismantle the barriers that often stand between people and meaningful moments. These barriers come in many forms from language and cultural differences, to the loss of speech, limited mobility, and even fear of the new or unknown. As a Branch Manager from Wales commented, “It’s allowed people who wouldn’t normally interact to get together.” Through personalised, culturally relevant content and intuitive design, the Programme offers us all a way back to connection.

In Ontario, Canada, staff at Cooksville Care Centre describe how the Programme helps bridge cognitive differences between residents:

“The Happiness Program helps build camaraderie among residents with different abilities. For example, during sing-alongs, residents with higher cognitive function often lead the singing, while those with greater care needs enjoy following along with the rhythm and music. These shared experiences create laughter, encourage interaction, and help residents connect with one another, fostering a sense of friendship and inclusion across different ability levels.”

Another North American Director of Life Enrichment shared  a similar story “The fact that I can bring different groups together is pretty neat. I find that some of my residents who are higher functioning are actually able to engage with some lower functioning residents and have an enjoyable time. It definitely connects residents that I wouldn’t anticipate would connect with one another, because the games are so versatile.”

A Care Manager from South West England shared a wonderful story about the unifying power of the programme “One of our residents used to be a school teacher, so when she first arrived, she felt the activities weren’t for her. She’s used to being the one teaching. But then Rose (our activities manager) invited her to be a volunteer to help with the other residents and now she comes along and she loves helping out now as well.”

At Ottawa Hospital, the Programme has helped overcome physical barriers, particularly for patients with limited mobility:

“We have a geriatric patient who is in a wheelchair, so not much mobility anymore. We had originally used the projector just on the wall, just kind of testing it out and it was still quite motivating for him, but once we were able to change it and make it so that he can sit in his wheelchair and see the images on a table or on the floor, then he became more engaged and for a much longer amount of time- and more meaningfully engaged in how we played too.”

And for those confined to bed, even small adjustments can make a world of difference. Mariann Home in Canada shared the impact of projecting the Programme onto a ceiling or bed sheets:

“One of our residents is a really important one for the Happiness Programme for us and where I see a lot of success because she’s so limited in her mobility, even sitting her up in the bed can be tricky. Being able to cast the Programme up onto the ceiling for her or her bed sheets is huge. And that’s really when I see she’s most engaged — she just lights up, her eyes open wider. You can see her get intrigued by everything and excited about things and that sparks conversation. So to be able to bring that to her is really special.”

As Frank from Age UK Wandsworth, London, notes “With non-verbal clients, it can be more challenging to get to know them, but this helped us understand each other in a new way.”

This sentiment is echoed by Marion Lauder House in Manchester, England: “It’s wonderful sensory stimulation for people that are non-verbal or resting in bed, the stimulation they get, their eyes light up. It’s just lovely to see the reaction from them.”

Cultural and linguistic bridges

The Happiness Programme is designed to reflect the rich diversity of the people it serves. From Holi colour celebrations and Diwali candles to Islamic prayers and quizzes on the Qur’an, the content is tailored to resonate with individuals’ cultural and spiritual identities. Language variants including content in Hebrew, Gaelic, and Welsh ensure that people can engage in ways that feel natural and familiar.

Maggie Dance, from Allegra Care in Bristol, England, spoke about the importance of personalised care that feels like home: “I’ve worked in Dementia Care for a long time, I believe in the Dementia Care Matters Butterfly Model, so to me the environment needs to be engaging for the individual. We’ve also recently had Namaste Training (through Sirona) which is about honouring the spirit within”

These culturally relevant experiences don’t just entertain, they affirm identity, spark recognition, and restore dignity. They remind us that even in the face of memory loss, people still carry deep connections to their heritage, language, and beliefs.

A bridge across barriers

The Programme also helps ease emotional barriers, including fear and anxiety “Care is scary for anybody, especially when living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.”, but the Happiness Programme is more than a source of comfort, it’s a bridge across barriers. Through personalised experiences that speak to the individual, not just the condition, we help dissolve frustration, isolation, and anxiety. A familiar song, a cherished memory, a moment of recognition: these small sparks can light up even the most challenging days. In every setting, from a hospital bed to a library chair, the Programme reminds us that meaningful connection is always possible.

An Activity Co-ordinator from the VAR Region of France shared “As soon as we say “the Happiness….” The residents always come, it’s something they really enjoy…you can tell they’re having a good time, and there’s always laughter!”

That’s the heart of the Happiness Programme: global in presence, personal at heart.