---
title: "You Care Reminders vs dementia clocks — an honest comparison"
url: https://youcarereminders.co.uk/vs-dementia-clocks
description: "A dementia clock shows the day and time. It can't send the right words at the right moment, or tell you it was seen. An honest comparison of what each one is actually good for."
lang: en-GB
---

Compared honestly

# A clock tells them the day. It can't tell you it was seen.

Dementia clocks do one job well. Here's where that job ends, what a reminder service picks up, and why a lot of families quietly end up with both.

## What a dementia clock is genuinely good at

A large day-and-date clock answers a real, recurring question — what day is it, and is it morning or evening? It does that with no setup, no subscription, no battery anxiety and nothing to learn. If orientation is the problem, it is a good and cheap answer, and we'd rather say so than pretend otherwise.

## Where it stops being enough

- It waits to be looked at. If nobody glances at it, nothing happens.
- It can't say anything specific. 'Tuesday afternoon' is not 'a glass of water', and it certainly isn't 'Katie is ringing at four'.
- It has no sense of the week. Something that only happens on Sundays gets no help at all.
- It tells you nothing. You're still phoning to find out how the day went.

## What a reminder service adds

You choose the moment and the words once. At that time a short message arrives — by text, email or a notification on their phone — with a single button on it. They tap it, and a quiet confirmation appears on your dashboard with the time it landed.

That confirmation is the bit a clock can never provide, and it's usually the bit that lets a carer stop checking.

## Side by side

| What matters | Dementia clock | You Care Reminders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shows the day and date | Yes, at a glance, all day | No — it isn't a display |
| Prompts at a specific time | No | Yes, on the days and times you choose |
| Says something specific | No, only the date and time | Yes, in wording you shape yourself |
| Handles once-a-week things | No | Yes, per day of the week |
| Confirms it was seen | No | Yes, one tap and you see the time |
| Needs anything installed | Plug in and place it | Nothing for them on text or email |
| Ongoing cost | One-off purchase | Free to start, paid plans from £9.99 a month |
| Medical or monitoring use | No | No — wellness reminders only |

## Being straight with you

You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool, not a dementia treatment, monitoring service or alarm. Reminders are best effort rather than guaranteed, and must not be used for medication reminders. In an emergency, call 999. A clock may be the better answer if orientation is the only thing you need.

## Questions carers ask

### Are dementia clocks worth buying?

### What's the difference between a dementia clock and a reminder service?

### Can I use both?

### Does a reminder service need a smartphone?

## Read next

- Why smart alarms fail older adults: https://youcarereminders.co.uk/why-smart-alarms-fail-older-adults
- Dementia check-in reminders for family carers: https://youcarereminders.co.uk/dementia-check-in-service
- See plans and pricing: https://youcarereminders.co.uk/pricing
- Frequently asked questions: https://youcarereminders.co.uk/faq

## Set the first reminder tonight

It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install.

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