When Time Aligns

A thought-provoking account of how listening, sharing and, at times, being silent can help understanding, increase confidence and enable people with dementia and their caregivers to feel validated. Gina Awad uses Sienna, a dementia companion, as the vehicle for telling their stories, each unique but with a common thread. She helps them find meaning and understanding in their circumstances and works with them to find practical ways of dealing with the problems and dilemmas they face. It’s a careful, gentle approach to supporting people affected by this cruel condition and resonates clearly with tide’s belief that helping people tell their stories is the best way of understanding lived experience. Highly recommended for people living with dementia, their families and friends – Ruth Eley, Director and Chair, tide - together in dementia everyday
Warm, insightful and deeply human, this book brings together a remarkable range of stories from people living with dementia and those who care for and support them. Spanning different cultures, relationships, stages of dementia and diagnoses, including rarer and younger onset dementias, it offers readers both recognition and understanding. The author’s reflections as a therapist add a unique depth, while her openness in sharing practical approaches, resources and insights into dementia support makes this much more than a collection of stories. A powerful reminder that care is never static, that meaningful connection remains possible, and that no one should face dementia alone – Vic Lyons, Head of Digital, Dementia UK
When Time Aligns is a bridge of life-earned insights from the shore of confusion and isolation to the shore of shared understanding… puts a beautiful twist in the plot of the idea of dementia as the beginning of the end. It helps us imagine how a diagnosis of dementia can be, with a love and wisdom like Sienna’s at your side, the beginning of the beginning – Michael Verde, founder & CEO, Memory Bridge
When Time Aligns is a quietly remarkable book; one that will resonate with anyone living with dementia, as well as care partners, family members and friends who walk alongside them. Told through stories rather than instruction, it delivers practical wisdom, gentle affirmations and real insight in the most unassuming way: you find yourself learning almost without noticing. That subtlety is its real strength. Rather than feeling like a manual or a guide, it reads with warmth and ease, making it accessible even in the most tiring and emotionally demanding of circumstances. And because its lessons are woven into narrative rather than stated outright, it rewards returning to, each read revealing something new, something you may not have been ready to receive the first time around – Dr Jane Murray, assistant professor, of mental health, University of Northumbria
I was drawn into every story and every word. I personally believe that there is no better way to learn and understand about dementia than to hear the lived experience of those who are going through it. The fantastic illustrations bring it to life by allowing me to visualise every story. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, feeling the joy of some and feeling the sorrow and loss of others. But what this book gave me, and I’m sure it will all its readers, is a sense of hope, a belief that no matter how bad things are, there are always people out there willing to offer help and understanding. Dementia is not the end of your life; it is the beginning of your new one – Tommy Dunne BEM, living with Alzheimer’s
I know of no other book like this. To say that I like it is a vast understatement. This is by far the best book I have ever read on the human side of what happens after diagnosis of dementia. A strong theme, which I like enormously, is the individuality and diversity of people’s experiences. The chapters collectively are a work of genius… the perfect companion book for anyone starting out on this journey of young onset dementia including carers, friends and families – Professor Shibley Rahman, honorary visiting professor, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool, specialist in dementia, delirium and frailty
Reading this lovely book was both absorbing and deeply thought-provoking, particularly as someone personally affected by the daily realities of caring for my wife, who lives with the rare form of dementia known as posterior cortical atrophy (PCA)… One of my only disappointments was reaching the end too soon, I found myself wanting more stories and further reflections, which is perhaps the strongest compliment I can offer. This is a beautifully crafted and important piece of work. The combination of thoughtful narrative and evocative illustrations makes it both engaging and impactful, while also serving as a valuable contribution towards improving awareness, understanding and compassion around the realities of dementia – Bob Musk
Provides a really insightful and useful resource for everyone affected by dementia. Short and easy to read… everyone will find something in this useful. The reason to read it is to learn about living with dementia. And that it is highly relevant to, and aimed at, everyone. Very inclusive – George Rook, Chair of the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), Dementia UK
This beautiful book shines a light on the realities of living with dementia with love, tenderness and honesty. The stories stay with you long after reading and are an important reminder of the humanity, individuality and love that can still exist within every dementia diagnosis. An important and deeply moving book that offers understanding, comfort and connection for anyone whose life has been touched by dementia – Pennie Burton, cared for her dad who lived with Alzheimer’s
A heart-warming and informative collection of stories that gently opens up the realities of dementia care. The book shares knowledge in a gentle and accessible way, weaving practical insight with compassion, warmth and humanity. The stories of families, carers and people living with dementia feel honest and tender, while the illustrations help bring it to life – Zoe Harris, founder/CEO, My Care Matters
This beautifully written and illustrated book shows us through compassionate storytelling how dementia does not just affect one person but impacts on all those who love and care for the person with the diagnosis. Gina Awad, through her own lived experience, wisdom, knowledge and gentle reflection, is not afraid to capture the frustration and daily challenges faced by all those touched with dementia and yet what also shines bright is the love, gentle humour and laughter through the tears that are all part of the complexities of our human experience. Narrated with empathy, packed full of useful tips and free from jargon, this is an easy-to-read book that cuts to the chase. Anyone reading it will find that they are not alone, it is never wrong to ask for help and it may even move them to start important conversations that so far they have been afraid to open up – Heather Penwarden RMN, Dip CBT, BEM, Chair of Dementia Friendly Honiton
A beautiful, compassionate piece of work. What stands out most is the gentle, steady voice created through Sienna; it offers reassurance without ever feeling clinical. The stories are sensitively chosen and really highlight the emotional truth of caring… It’s a book that will genuinely help people feel seen, supported and less alone in what can be an overwhelming journey. It’s warm, grounded and deeply human; a real companion for families and care partners – Sadie Ravening, CEO of Continuing Care With Sadie (CCWS), creator and host of Continuing the Conversation, and PCN Lead for the Professional Carers Network
From the very first pages, Gina’s warm, accessible writing draws you in. Her words remind us that the person must always remain at the centre of the dementia story. Through a series of very different experiences, she captures the universal emotions of dementia, fear, guilt, uncertainty, grief and exhaustion, alongside courage, humour, love and compassion… This is a book that informs without frightening, challenges without judging and offers practical wisdom without ever losing sight of the person at the heart of the story – Karen Young, wife and care partner of a husband living with Lewy Body Dementia, Dementia Advocate and Ambassador for the Lewy Body Society
What a lovely, loving little sweetheart of a book. It’s chock full of insights and info: caring being relational; language and meaning being based on shared understanding; the value of deep listening and attentive presence; the wonder of reframing. But it’s related through real stories of real people in really challenging circumstances and told with profound sensitivity, gentleness and tenderness. This is lovingly enhanced by the superb illustrations. Professional carers, family partners and people living with dementia will all find themselves more creatively compassionate through this little gem – Don Wendorf, Psy.D. and Lynda Everman, former caregivers, active respite care musicians and advocates
Each story provides positive helpful threads for the reader, outlining the importance of compassion, openness and self-care on this difficult journey. The reader is given a balanced insight into the mental, physical and practical struggles of those diagnosed with dementia and those caring for a loved one with dementia – Dee Stone, both parents living with Alzheimer’s
Stories are such a powerful way to communicate the challenges that individuals and families experience. What I particularly loved was how, through storytelling, this highlights resilience in action. People often think of resilience as an individual trait or something a person simply possesses. In reality, resilience is often relational, emerging through connection, and the co-maintenance of identity. When Time Aligns captures this beautifully, showing how people draw strength not only from within themselves, but also from the relationships and networks around them – Caroline Bartle, Director, Dementia Learning Centre, Alzheimer‘s New Zealand
I read it all in one sitting! I didn’t want to stop; it was engaging, heartbreaking and, importantly, hopeful – Suzy Webster, former carer for her mum who lived with hydrocephalus-related dementia, Lived Experienced & Involvement Manager for Dementia UK
The book has already been well received by care partners, professionals working in the field, and people living with dementia themselves, a rare combination that speaks to how effectively the book captures the experience from all angles… this is a short, easy read that is recommended for anyone who supports people with dementia and those close to them, wherever in the world they are working – Dr Jane Murray, associate professor, Northumbria University * International Nurses Home Care newsletter *
A fantastic resource. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on shared language - so important to highlight this for folks of different cultures and language yet with the same universal disease – Alison Van, Alongside Care Consulting, Canada
An invaluable resource for anyone navigating the complex world of dementia. Having a dear friend who has a rapidly progressing rare dementia posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), I find the book to be a supportive and positive guide as I try to help her travel along this unfamiliar road – Sue Uttley
The stories in this book are all very real to me and I am sure it will benefit many families in the future – Sonia Chan, Older Peoples Mental Health Service, Hazelwood

Gina Awad (Author)

Gina Awad has worked alongside people living with dementia and those who love and support them for over a decade, offering a relational, reflective approach grounded in everyday life. She founded and led the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance from 2014 to 2025, working across communities, with services and families, to strengthen collaboration, understanding and dignity. Her work is shaped by lived experience and a commitment to listening closely to what matters most to people.

Gina is the author of United: Caring for Our Loved Ones Living with Dementia, illustrated by Tony Husband. United was selected as one of twenty publications for the Reading Well for Dementia recommended book list in 2024. She is also the host of ‘Living Better with Dementia’ on Exeter community radio station Phonic 106.8 FM, a voluntary role she has held for over ten years, creating space for honest conversation, shared learning and lived voices.

Her contribution to dementia care and community work has been recognised nationally, including the honour of a British Empire Medal.

Recently trained as an independent life celebrant, Gina supports individuals and families to create meaningful end-of-life tributes. She is also a carer representative for the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Memory Services National Accreditation Programme.

Gina believes planning ahead for care, loss and life transitions allows people to remain true to themselves while easing the burden on those they love. Her work is rooted in compassion and presence. Gina’s passions for travel, culture, the arts, astrology, writing, personal growth and walking inform both her work and her life. She lives in Devon with her cockapoo River, and is the proud mum of her son Alex, whom she cherishes.

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