“I will never forget you.”
That is the theme Pope Leo XIV chose for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on 26 July 2026 — a promise from Isaiah 49:15, offered to every older person who lives in solitude or feels forgotten.
We think it is also a standard of care. This page is for the providers, parishes, and families who want to make the promise real — on 26 July, on Australia's Grandparents Day in October, and on the ordinary Tuesdays in between.
When is Grandparents Day in 2026?
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
The sixth World Day, instituted by Pope Francis and kept on the fourth Sunday of July, near the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. Pope Leo XIV's theme for 2026: “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).
National Grandparents Day (US)
Celebrated in the United States on the first Sunday after Labor Day. A day for families everywhere to reach the grandparents they don't see enough of.
Grandparents Day (Australia)
Led by NSW on the last Sunday of October and marked around the country. A day to celebrate grandparents and the older people who play a grandparent's role in our lives.
The Vatican's Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life describes the 2026 theme as “a message of consolation and hope for all grandparents and the elderly, especially those who live in solitude or who feel forgotten.” Read more on the Catholic aged care page.
Four ways to make the day count — and outlast it.
One good day is lovely. The theme asks for something harder: never. These are the pieces that keep working on 27 July.
Make sure every resident gets a call
The simplest measure of the day: did every person hear a warm voice? A call program for the week — family first, and a scheduled wellbeing check-in for anyone the phone would otherwise pass by.
Introduce residents to each other
Many older people have more in common with the person three doors down than either of them knows. Gentle Introductions arranges warm, low-pressure three-way conversations between residents who would enjoy each other.
Capture a life story
Grandparents Day is a natural moment to record the stories families always meant to write down. A guided conversation about childhood, work, love, and faith becomes a keepsake — and better, more personal care.
Evidence the connection
Under the Strengthened Quality Standards, social connection is a provider responsibility, not a nice-to-have. A documented Grandparents Day program is exactly the kind of auditable social-connection evidence Standard 1 asks for.
The Grandparents Day Activity & Reflection Packs.
Two print-ready packs for activity coordinators, pastoral care teams, and families. Free, no sign-up. Print them, share them, adapt them.
Catholic Reflection & Activity Pack
A week of reflection and activity built around “I will never forget you” — for pastoral care teams, parish visitation groups, and Catholic homes.
Grandparents Day Activity Pack
Intergenerational activity ideas, a call-week planner, life-story prompts, and a simple template for recording the social-connection evidence — for any aged care home or community group.
Pledge that someone will not be forgotten.
A resident. A parent. A whole home. Tell us who you want to make the promise for, and we will come back with how a weekly wellbeing check-in program could work for them — for providers, parishes, or a single family.
Make the pledge
Tell us who you are and who you're thinking of — a facility, a parish community, or one person you love. Andrew or someone from the team will come back with a tailored conversation, not a sales pitch.
A note on what we are and aren't. careplans AI makes scheduled wellbeing check-in calls that listen, document, and escalate to human carers. Check-in calls supplement human connection; they do not replace it. The best thing that can happen on Grandparents Day is a visit from someone who loves you — our job is everyone the visits miss.