Dementia is a progressive condition that largely affects older people, impacting on their memory, language, ability to communicate, mood and personality. The course of the illness may be gradual and sometimes subtle, as is classically the case in Alzheimer’s disease. While dementia is a medical condition, recent insights from the psychosocial, sociopolitical and public health perspectives have focused attention on the human, social and economic implications of the disease. The ageing of the population across Europe and beyond means that the number of people with dementia will grow in future decades with consequent implications for care provision, care burden and public expenditure. It is
no wonder, therefore, that many countries are already preparing for the projected rise in the number of people with dementia by putting in place dedicated action plans and/or dementia strategies.