Greece is taking a significant step forward in dementia care with the creation of a new National Dementia Model Centre in Peristeri, a western suburb of Athens. The facility, announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is designed to become a national reference point for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
A blueprint for dementia care across Greece
The centre aims to serve as a model for similar services throughout the country, offering a comprehensive range of free services to up to 160 people per day, or roughly 5,000 annually. These include cognitive stimulation, occupational therapy, and music therapy, as well as prevention, diagnosis, and systematic patient follow-up. Families and carers will also benefit from counselling and guidance, including via telemedicine, while training programmes will be developed for health professionals, informal carers, and young researchers.
Presenting the project, Mitsotakis stressed that the centre will act as a source of expertise for other facilities across Greece, contributing to research and public information. He also highlighted the importance of reducing the social stigma that still surrounds dementia, a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of Greeks and their families.
“The aim is to reduce the social stigma that still surrounds the disease,” Mitsotakis said, underscoring the need for a societal shift in how dementia is perceived and addressed.
Partnership and funding
The initiative is the result of collaboration between the public sector, the National Bank of Greece, and 12 charitable foundations under the “Initiative ’21” umbrella, with involvement from local authorities and the Church. Renovation of the space, procurement of equipment, and funding for the first two years will be covered by a €4.49 million donation from the initiative's members.
Deputy Health Minister Irini Agapidaki described the project as an opportunity for broader change in dementia care, with an emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and patient support. She particularly stressed the need to train informal carers, who bear a significant share of daily care responsibilities for people with dementia.
Timeline and broader context
The National Dementia Model Centre is scheduled to open in September 2027, with a pilot phase preceding full operation in spring 2028. The centre will also develop quality standards and evaluation tools to continuously improve dementia services across Greece, support volunteering and awareness campaigns, and promote dementia research.
This initiative comes at a time when Greece faces broader demographic challenges, as highlighted by the shrinking school population on the island of Thymaina, a symptom of the country's wider demographic crisis. Meanwhile, the government is also grappling with economic pressures, having recently pressed Brussels for fiscal leeway amid an energy shock. The dementia centre represents a long-term investment in public health and social cohesion, aiming to set a standard for integrated care that could inspire similar efforts across Europe.
