--- title: "Dementia clocks vs spoken reminders: which helps?" description: "A clock answers 'what day is it'. A spoken or written reminder answers 'what happens now'. Which one your family needs, and when both are worth having." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/#organization", "name": "You Care Reminders", "url": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk", "email": "hello@youcarereminders.co.uk", "areaServed": "GB" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/#website", "name": "You Care Reminders", "url": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk", "publisher": { "@id": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which should I buy first?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If the recurring problem is confusion about the day or the hour, buy the clock — it is cheaper and needs nothing from anyone. If the problem is that specific things are not happening, a reminder is the better first step." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can a clock do reminders too?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Some display a line of text at a set time, but it still has to be looked at in that moment, and nothing tells you whether it was. That is the practical difference." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a phone call better than a text?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It depends on the person. A voice reaches someone who never looks at a phone screen; a text can be read again later. Trying both for a week usually settles it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will they find reminders patronising?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Not if the wording is yours. 'Kettle's on at eleven, love Sarah' is a message from a daughter. 'Reminder: hydration task' is a machine talking, and it gets ignored." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Dementia clocks", "item": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/dementia-clocks" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Clocks vs reminders", "item": "https://youcarereminders.co.uk/dementia-clocks-vs-spoken-reminders" } ] } ] --- [You Care Reminders Caregiver Support ](/) [Home](/)[How it works](/features)[Pricing](/pricing)[FAQ](/faq)[Contact](/contact) [Sign in](/login)[Get started](/signup) 1. [Home](/) 2. [Dementia clocks](/dementia-clocks) 3. Clocks vs reminders Comparison # Clocks or reminders? These are answers to two different questions. A clock tells you where you are in the week. A reminder tells you what is meant to happen now. Knowing which one you need saves money and disappointment. [Begin caring today for free](/signup)[How it works](/features) ## Two different problems Write down what actually went wrong last week. If the entries look like 'thought it was Sunday' or 'got dressed at 4am', that is orientation, and a clock addresses it directly. If they look like 'hasn't had a drink all day', 'missed the call with her sister' or 'the bins didn't go out', a clock will not help. Those are moments, and moments need something that arrives. ## Side by side The honest summary is that a clock is cheaper and asks less, and a reminder does something a clock structurally cannot: it turns up, it says something specific, and it can tell you it was answered. ## Where families use both The common setup is a clock on the sideboard for the background question of what day it is, and two or three reminders a day for the things that matter — a drink in the afternoon, a call at four, the routine before bed. That combination costs very little and covers most of what keeps carers awake. Neither part is trying to be the other. ## How our reminders are worded You write the message. We keep the tone warm and short, send it as a call, a text or a phone alert at the time you choose, and give one button to tap so you can see it was read. There is no app for your loved one to learn and nothing to charge at their end. ## The wider picture roughly 6 in 10 people with dementia in the UK live in their own home, not in care. Source: [Alzheimer's Society](https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/news-and-media/facts-media) ## Side by side A dementia clock compared with a reminder that arrives What matters Dementia clock You Care Reminders Answers 'what day is it?' Yes, continuously Not its job Arrives at a set time No — waits to be looked at Yes, at times you choose Says something specific No Yes, in your own words Handles weekly things No Yes Tells you it was seen No Yes, one tap to confirm Cost One-off, usually £30–£80 Free plan, paid plans from a few pounds a month Anything to learn Nothing Nothing at their end ## Being straight with you You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool, not monitoring and not an alarm. Delivery is best effort rather than guaranteed, and it must not be used for medication reminders. In an emergency, call 999. ## Questions carers ask ### Which should I buy first? ### Can a clock do reminders too? ### Is a phone call better than a text? ### Will they find reminders patronising? ## Read next - [Dementia clocks: buyer's guide](/dementia-clocks) - [Our fuller clock comparison](/vs-dementia-clocks) - [Dementia check-in service](/dementia-check-in-service) - [Pricing](/pricing) ## Set the first reminder tonight It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install. [Begin caring today for free](/signup)[See plans](/pricing) You Care Reminders Thoughtful reminders that help families stay quietly connected to the people they love. Wellness support, not medical advice. 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