New Alzheimer Europe Survey Highlights Inequalities in Access to Dementia Care and Treatment across Europe

Not everybody is equal when it comes to dementia care and treatment. This is the telling result of the recent Alzheimer Europe’s report entitled the “European Dementia Monitor”, which assessed countries for their dementia policies and the support and treatment they provide to people with dementia and their carers.

Providing a benchmark of national dementia policies, the survey scanned countries for their practices in different categories:

  1. The availability of care services
  2. The affordability of care services
  3. The reimbursement of medicines
  4. The availability of clinical trials
  5. The involvement of the country in European dementia research initiatives
  6. The recognition of dementia as a priority
  7. The development of dementia-friendly initiatives
  8. The recognition of legal rights
  9. The ratification of International and European human rights treaties
  10. Care and employment rights

According to the findings of the European Dementia Monitor, no country excelled in all ten categories surveyed.

Key findings:

  • Finland scored highest on care availability and affordability providing the most care services and ensuring accessible and affordable services for people with dementia and their carers.
  • Belgium, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom (both England and Scotland) came first- all anti-dementia treatments were fully reimbursed and countries had a policy in place to limit the inappropriate use of antipsychotics.
  • Germany, France and Spain scored highest as it was possible for people with dementia to take part in all nine phase III clinical trials currently being conducted in Europe.
  • Italy was the most committed to and active in European dementia research
  • Ireland and Norway came first in the recognition of dementia as a national policy and research priority.
  • Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (England) had the most inclusive and dementia-friendly initiatives and communities.
  • Germany, France, Israel, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland) complied with Alzheimer Europe’s four recommendations with regard to respecting the legal rights of people with dementia and their carers.
  • Finland and Norway had ratified the most International and European human rights
  • Ireland came first with regard to the care and employment rights which are recognised.

There were significant differences between European countries especially from East to west with most of the Western and Northern European countries scoring significantly higher than Eastern European countries.

Echoing the priorities of our #Access2030 campaign, Alzheimer Europe’s report brings more evidence that equal access and affordability of care is far from a reality for many European patients.

More about the report can be read here.

Jean Georges

Jean Georges

Jean Georges is the Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe (AE). Before joining the organisation in 1996, he worked as a journalist and as a parliamentary assistant to members of the Luxembourg and European Parliament. In 2006, he was appointed as one of the two patient representatives on the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency for two terms and he was also a member of the Board of the European Patients' Forum during its formative years

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Jean Georges

About Jean Georges

Jean Georges is the Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe (AE). Before joining the organisation in 1996, he worked as a journalist and as a parliamentary assistant to members of the Luxembourg and European Parliament. In 2006, he was appointed as one of the two patient representatives on the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency for two terms and he was also a member of the Board of the European Patients' Forum during its formative years

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