[The German National Dementia Strategy].

Area of Science:

• Public Health Policy
• Geriatric Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Initiated in 2019 and adopted in 2020, Germany's National Dementia Strategy was developed by key stakeholders.
• The strategy aims to improve the lives and care of people with dementia in Germany.
• It encompasses four key areas: social participation, support for patients and relatives, nursing and medical care, and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the National Dementia Strategy's strengths and weaknesses.
• To identify areas for improvement in dementia care and policy.
• To assess the strategy's alignment with current medical understanding and future treatment possibilities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the National Dementia Strategy's defined goals and measures.
• Identification of gaps in care structure improvements, funding, and integration of specialized clinics.
• Assessment of the strategy's consideration of preclinical dementia, early diagnostics, and prevention.

Main Results:

• The strategy's strength lies in its broad stakeholder involvement and comprehensive goals (27 goals, 162 measures).
• Identified weaknesses include a lack of specific provisions for inpatient geronto-psychiatric, neurological, and geriatric care, and inadequate funding for memory clinics.
• The strategy does not fully incorporate current understanding of dementia as a brain disease with preclinical stages, biomarker diagnostics, or population-level prevention strategies.

Conclusions:

• The National Dementia Strategy is significant for improving the living situation of people with dementia and their caregivers in Germany.
• There is a critical need to address the strategy's shortcomings regarding specialized care structures, early diagnostics, and prevention.
• Future iterations should integrate advancements in understanding dementia's biological basis and potential disease-modifying treatments.