Improving socio-economic outcomes for persons with dementia and informal caregivers

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Persons with dementia experience improved social, mental and socio-economic outcomes through the development and implementation of person-centred interventions that enhance autonomy, inclusion, and quality of life. Informal caregivers benefit from reduced emotional, financial, and physical burden thanks to evidence-based support measures, policies, and services that improve their well-being and economic resilience. Support networks, long-term care and healthcare systems provide more integrated and accessible care for people with dementia and their caregivers through strengthened coordination between healthcare providers, long-term care and social services, and community organisations. Researchers (including from SSH disciplines) and policymakers have access to improved, gender-sensitive data on dementia care to inform policies (in particular national strategies and EU aging policy), optimise resource allocation, and enhance the effectiveness of care models. Scope: Dementia is a progressive neurological disease. The number of people with dementia will double by 2050 in the European Union, from 10 million currently. As people with dementia lose their ability to care for themselves, care is often provided by informal caregivers, which mostly include family members, and more specifically women. In fact, 71% of the estimated time devoted to unpaid care for people with dementia is devoted by women. Women, especially those in vulnerable situations such as those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, often face additional pressures in managing caregiving responsibilities, which may exacerbate pre-existing inequalities. Furthermore, the provision of informal care has a negative impact on the economic and social life of the caregiver, as the time spent on the person with dementia is time not spent in employment or with other friends and family. Additionally, informal care is unpaid and has been estimated to have negative financial consequences for the caregivers themselves and the society as a whole. Studies have also shown that people with dementia and their informal caregivers have higher rates of depression than the general population. While there is a lot of attention for clinical research, there is far less attention for the aspects surrounding the economic and social life, financial stability and the mental health of persons with dementia and informal caregivers. Many innovative solutions have been proposed, but few have been implemented on a wide scale. Social public pol…