The World Dementia Council’s review project into dementia friendly initiatives is preparing to publish its report in 2020. We have heard of efforts, large and small, taking place across all six continents of the world.

Evidence was submitted from governments, academia, business, charities and civil society groups, health and social care providers, as well as people living with dementia and their carers.

We have discovered awareness raising efforts with the public from Demensia Brunei; IKEA in Sweden and the importance to make the design process ‘inclusive’; the Alzrus 'Club Nezabudka’ memory café helping people living with dementia in Russia (pictured above) is now operating in three cities of Moscow, St Petersburg, and Saratov; the Canadian government’s Dementia Community Investment which is supporting community-based projects to increase knowledge about dementia and its risk factors; Dementia Australia’s 3-year project which saw a Dementia Friends program rolled out; and how Chile is conducting citizen dialogues around the delivery of their national dementia plan.

The range of activities that people describe as dementia friendly is vast: improving a care home; providing a support service in the community; developing insurance products; through to signage at airports.

The review project is a WDC-led international network of organisations – partners including Alzheimer’s Society (UK), AARP (US), HGPI (Japan), as well as being supported by ADI and WHO – investigating the global evidence base for the delivery of meaningful dementia friendly initiatives.

The call for evidence, which took place in the latter half of 2019, has now closed. A report assessing the level of evidence for dementia friendly activity and some of the key policy issues is being written and will be published this year.