Implications of the Facing Dementia Survey for policy makers and third-party organisations across Europe

The Facing Dementia Survey included qualitative interviews conducted with 60 persons who influence health care policies in six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom). Respondents generally reinforced the perception of other survey participants that governments do not adequately fund research into the causes and cure of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia. (AD is the most common cause of dementia, and throughout this discussion, issues raised in reference to AD apply also to dementia in general.) Access to care services and treatment remains highly restricted in some countries and may vary even within countries. Yet, AD presents an enormous but unappreciated social and economic burden for a growing segment of society. AD is associated with unique challenges to health care systems, because diagnosis is difficult and the disease has an enormous impact on the affected persons and their caregivers alike. Moreover, there is a lack of trained professionals to diagnose and manage the disease, a lack of human and financial resources to provide care and services for people with AD as well as their families and a lack of infrastructure to deliver needed services. These difficulties are compounded by inadequate education of both the general public and physicians. Pressure to change current governmental policy towards neurodegenerative diseases may come from the increasing prevalence of AD as the population ages and from broader awareness of the total societal costs of long-term care.