A new initiative on dementia will bring together Atlantic Philanthropies (Chair), Fondation Mederic Alzheimer, Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian, King Baudouin Foundation and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The European Foundations’ Initiative on Dementia will take the form of an awareness-raising campaign at both national and European levels. NEF will announce the launch at the High Level Conference on Dementia on 25 and 26 November in Brussels in the framework of the Belgian presidency.

The new initiative will support projects to improve the perception of dementia and to stimulate solidarity at local level in order to contribute to a better quality of life for people with dementia and their carers. Dementia remains one of European society’s major challenges. There are already 7 million people in Europe who suffer from dementia. An estimated 10 per cent of the population over 65 years old and 50 per cent of those over 85 suffer some type of dementia – in 40 years’ time, 35 per cent of the world’s population will be over 60.

People with dementia and their families often feel isolated. To live well with dementia requires that communities accept and support people with dementia, adapt to their changed abilities, and help them express those abilities that remain.

The project is expected to deliver recommendations on how to communicate on dementia across Europe for policymakers, the media and other stakeholders. Outreach to Eastern European countries where awareness is low is viewed as crucial; new partners from European countries are therefore welcome.

For more information
http://nef-europe.org/content/6/working-european-integration-and-social-cohesion