My name is Lisa Martin. I am a wife, a mother, and I live in Essex. I have two wonderful cockapoos, Lucky and Molly, and I work in IT. To balance the demands of everyday life, I enjoy walking, art, and spending time being creative.
In 2020, my mother, Evalina, began to behave very differently. After a long period of confusion, worry, and unanswered questions, she was diagnosed in 2021 with Frontotemporal Alzheimer's disease.
In the years that followed, she moved into a care home. At first, our visits were easy. She was still able to talk, move freely, and take part in conversations. But as her condition progressed, our visits became more challenging. I had to learn new ways of communicating and find different ways to connect with her.
Together, we discovered colouring and simple puzzles. These activities brought moments of calm and gave us something to focus on and talk about together. They helped us connect, even when conversation became more difficult.
Sadly, by 2025, my mother had lost much of her ability to speak and move. During that time, I realised there were so many things I had never thought to ask. So many memories, stories, and details of her life remained undocumented. I also felt the pressure of wanting to make every visit meaningful, despite the barriers that her illness had created. Looking back, I wish I had access to resources that could have helped us preserve memories, spark conversations, and make those precious moments together a little easier.
Evalina passed away in June 2026 with both my sister and me by her side. Shortly afterwards, I founded Care to Remember.
Care to Remember was created to help families connect with loved ones living with dementia and other conditions that affect communication, memory, or cognition. Through simple activities, conversation prompts, memory-sharing resources, and accessible colouring books, my hope is to help families preserve precious memories, celebrate life stories, and make the most of the time they have together.
Because every memory matters, and every story deserves to be remembered.
My Story
Me with Mum in 2018 - before she got ill (taken at our favourite place, Mersea Island)
Although I work in IT, my educational background is in Psychology and Counselling, and I am also a qualified NLP Practitioner. Through both my studies and professional experience, I have always understood the importance of human connection, communication and emotional wellbeing.
However, when my mum was diagnosed with dementia, I quickly realised that knowledge alone could not prepare me for the reality of watching someone you love change over time. Despite my background, I often found myself searching for ways to connect, communicate and make our time together meaningful. I experienced the same uncertainty, frustration and sadness that so many families and carers face every day.
Care to Remember was born from that experience.
My goal is to support people living with dementia, along with their families and carers, through thoughtful, accessible resources that encourage connection, creativity, conversation and memory sharing. I want to help others find activities that bring comfort, spark moments of joy and create opportunities to preserve precious memories before they are lost.
Care to Remember resources are designed to be calming, accessible and rewarding. While created with dementia-friendly principles in mind, they can also be enjoyed by people living with other conditions that affect memory, communication, concentration or confidence. The focus is on providing relaxing, achievable activities that promote enjoyment, creativity and a sense of accomplishment without frustration.
We are proud to donate a percentage from every book sold to Alzheimer's Society, helping to support the vital work they do for people affected by dementia and their families.
My Mission
Mum on her wedding day