There is a lack of sufficient information and coordination of post-diagnosis support for people with dementia and their caregivers at national level in Bulgaria. Thus, through the pilot intervention, the BSD team has decided to develop a post-diagnosis support program for people with dementia in primary/outpatient specialist settings. The pilot design encompasses Phase 1 to Phase 3 from the Grant Agreement outline.

The post-diagnosis support program will consist of sets of modules, including - a) diagnosis, care, and follow-ups of dementia disorders; b) prevention - lifestyle changes and vascular risk factor control; c) crisis management; d) practices related to health and social care coordination.

This pilot focuses on strengthening care pathways for people with cognitive impairment, dementia or related neurodegenerative disorders in Asturias through an online training programme for health professionals. The training will be based on materials conceptualised and managed by SESPA under the leadership of the pilot PI, Manuel Menéndez, with FICYT providing management, technical and logistical support. Fundación Neurociencias will contribute to the development of the training materials following the PI’s guidance. The programme will include didactic written materials, presentations and videos, and will focus on the use of APIs at different points of the patient care pathways and across the different routes followed by patients. The pilot aims to improve professional knowledge, coordination between care levels, referral processes and post-diagnostic support.

The pilot aims to evaluate the impact of the Regional Integrated Health and Social Care Plan for Cognitive Impairment (PIDEX) in Extremadura and to design, implement and assess a complementary intervention focused on family caregivers. Although PIDEX has strengthened early detection, diagnosis and clinical follow-up of cognitive impairment, support services for caregivers remain insufficiently developed. The project will assess the clinical, functional, emotional and social situation of 125 patient-caregiver dyads using validated instruments. Findings will be used to identify unmet needs, barriers and opportunities for improvement. Through a participatory co-design process involving professionals and stakeholders, a complementary caregiver support intervention will be developed and implemented with 25 selected families. The pilot will evaluate feasibility, sustainability, user satisfaction and potential impact on quality of life, caregiver burden and autonomy. Results will support recommendations for strengthening the socio-health dimension of dementia care in Extremadura and provide a scalable model for wider implementation.