Pilot intervention area
Vulnerable groups and stigma awareness raising
Identification
Contact person: Nuria Moreno García; Elisabeth García Alonso
Lead entity: JUNTAEX - Spain
Participating countries and entities:
SESPA-FICYT (Spain), JUNTAEX (Spain), NIJZ (Slovenia), MUW (Poland), BSD (Bulgaria), AACC (Malta).
EU best practices
Care Planning in Integrated Care Organisation
The pilot actions reflect this Best Practice by promoting coordinated, multidisciplinary and person-centred approaches to dementia awareness and support. Through educational and community-based activities, they foster communication, inclusion, shared understanding and engagement across health, social and educational sectors.
Target group and estimated participants
Patients, caregivers, families, professionals, the general population and vulnerable groups. Target audiences include older adults, people with dementia or at risk of dementia, caregivers, healthcare professionals and nursing students, school children and parents, people with mental health conditions, ethnic vulnerable groups, care home staff, general practitioners and policy makers. Estimated participation across the pilot actions is approximately 3,000 people in awareness, training and dissemination activities.
Description
The pilot actions are implemented across several European countries within a joint work package focused on dementia awareness and stigma reduction. Multidisciplinary teams involving healthcare, social care, public health and education stakeholders participate in their implementation. The interventions combine awareness-raising, training and community-based activities targeting people living with dementia, caregivers, students, professionals, policy makers and the general public. Activities include workshops, educational sessions, audiovisual materials, presentations, e-learning tools and community events. All pilot actions address the shared challenge of improving understanding of dementia, reducing stigma and promoting more inclusive, person-centred and supportive communities across different social and care contexts.
Objectives
Primary objective
To improve dementia awareness and reduce stigma through educational, community-based and multidisciplinary interventions targeting different population groups across Europe.
Secondary objectives
1. To increase knowledge and understanding of dementia among healthcare professionals, students, caregivers, policy makers and the general public.
2. To promote inclusive, person-centred and community-based approaches to dementia care and support.
3. To develop and implement educational and awareness tools adapted to different social, healthcare and educational contexts.
Evaluation
Expected outcomes
The pilot actions are expected to improve awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards dementia across different target groups, contributing to stigma reduction and a more inclusive social perception of neurocognitive disorders. They aim to strengthen understanding of how to support people living with dementia and promote more informed, empathetic and supportive community responses.
Results
Final results are not available yet. A post-session evaluation questionnaire has been developed and implemented across all participating countries and adapted to local languages and contexts. It will measure the impact of the sessions on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, empathy and dementia-related stigma. The results will provide comparable cross-country data to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and identify factors influencing changes in perception and understanding.
Lessons learnt
Preliminary lessons highlight the importance of adapting materials and assessment tools to different cultural and linguistic contexts. The development of a common post-session questionnaire across countries has reinforced the need for harmonised yet flexible evaluation approaches that ensure comparability while respecting local specificities.
Sustainability and health literacy
Sustainability / Transferability
The pilot actions are highly transferable because they use reusable and adaptable awareness materials, including audiovisual resources, educational guides and session formats, which will be shared across participating countries. After the project, these materials can be implemented in different cultural and organisational contexts, supporting continuity and replication in schools, community settings and health and social care services.
Health literacy
The pilot actions enhance health literacy by improving understanding of dementia and brain health through accessible, evidence-based and participatory approaches. They increase awareness, reduce stigma and strengthen knowledge about how to support people living with dementia. This fosters more informed attitudes, improved communication and better decision-making across different population groups.
