Bologna, 7 October 2025 – The 35th Alzheimer Europe Conference (#35AEC) “Connecting Science and Communities: The future of dementia care” was formally opened yesterday afternoon. The conference is taking place at the Bologna Congress Center between 6 and 8 October 2025, attracting over 1,500 delegates from across Italy, Europe and beyond, with 48 countries represented. On the agenda are over 800 presenters (369 presenters for oral and quick oral presentations, and 495 poster presentations), sharing their research, knowledge and experience in an atmosphere of true collaboration and solidarity.
Maria do Rosário Zincke dos Reis, Chairperson of Alzheimer Europe, addressed delegates at the Opening Ceremony yesterday afternoon, officially opening the conference. She began by welcoming a record-breaking number of over 1,500 delegates, noting that three decades ago, in 1995, we held our Annual Conference in Milan, making this the second time that an Alzheimer Europe Conference has been organised in Italy. “I am sure you are all as delighted as I am that we are hosting our event once again in this beautiful country!” she said.
She highlighted the exciting and varied conference programme created in collaboration with our co-hosts, Federazione Alzheimer Italia and Alzheimer Uniti Italia, sharing her delight that our Annual Conference continues to grow in popularity, and to provide such an engaging forum for sharing knowledge and for networking, bringing together people living with dementia and their families, carers and supporters, as well as volunteers and staff of Alzheimer associations, policymakers, health and social care professionals, researchers, academics and industry representatives.
She thanked conference Gold sponsor Lilly, Silver sponsor Bristol Myers Squibb, and Bronze sponsors, BioArctic, Biogen, Eisai, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Roche and UCB for their support, as well as the Emilia-Romagna Region and City of Bologna. Finally, she extended a special welcome to the 48 people with dementia in our audience here in Bologna, and to the 43 carers and supporters also in attendance, emphasising the importance, for her, of “listening to and learning from people with dementia and carers” and inviting everyone to do just that, at the first plenary session, taking place directly after the opening ceremony and focusing on dementia as a European and national policy and research priority, from the perspective of members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia and the European Dementia Carers Working Group.
Mario Possenti, Vice-Chairperson of Alzheimer Europe and Secretary General of Federazione Alzheimer Italia took to the stage to present the medal of the President of the Republic to the conference. This is a token of appreciation from the President and it is awarded to the conference for its value. He then read some welcome words provided by Professor Orazio Schillaci, Italian Minister of Health. The Minister extended his greetings to Alzheimer Europe, Federazione Alzheimer Italia and Alzheimer Uniti Italia, whom he thanked for “promoting this event of great national and international importance”, noting that “the decision to host the 35th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Bologna, Italy, confirms our nation's focus and desire to play a leading role in the international debate on the future of dementia care and support.”
He reassured attendees that Italy’s attention to dementia and to people with dementia and carers, is constant, and that for this reason, they have already implemented concrete measures to strengthen the network of health and social care services. “The refinancing of the Fund for Alzheimer's and Dementia, support for research and the enhancement of telemedicine are all steps in the direction of providing more timely and appropriate responses”, he stated.
He also stressed that a further milestone would be the updating of the National Dementia Plan, which by the end of 2025 will provide Italy with a modern and shared strategy. “Thanks to the contribution of patient family associations, the new Plan will focus not only on scientific evidence but also on the daily experience of those facing the disease”, he said.
In closing, Minister Schillaci’s words praised the Conference as “a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge and best practices, but above all to reaffirm a fundamental principle: no one should feel alone when faced with dementia”, reassuring delegates that “the Italian Government will continue to work to ensure that patients and families receive adequate care and services.”
Mario Possenti then gave the floor to Giovanni Gordini, Councillor, and Vice President of Commission IV "Health and Social Policies" representing Reggio Emilia Romagna, who welcomed delegates to the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Following this, Roberta Toschi, Bologna City Councillor responsible for Disability and Chair of the Fifth Council Committee - Health, Welfare, Family, Community, welcomed everyone to the city of Bologna. Both speakers’ words (delivered in Italian) were translated by Clelia d’Anastasio from Alzheimer Uniti Italia.
People with lived experience of dementia are our most important focus, both at our Annual Conference and in all aspects of our work. Prior to the conference, to ensure they were as comfortable as possible at our event, we hosted a networking event and information session, plus a tour of the conference venue for delegates with dementia.
We are also proud to have our first plenary session entirely organised, moderated and presented by people with lived experience.
Dementia as a European and national policy and research priority – as seen by people with dementia and their carers
The first Plenary of the conference was a joint session organised by the members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) and the European Dementia Carers Working Group (EDCWG), who decided to give their perspectives on dementia as a European and national policy and research priority, as people with lived experience of dementia. The session was moderated by Trevor Salomon, Chairperson of the EDCWG, from the UK. He welcomed the audience, introduced himself, sharing some of his family background and experience as a carer for his wife, Yvonne.
“I’m not sure at what point something becomes a tradition, but this is now the third successive time that the opening session of this Conference has been fronted by people living with dementia and carers. It’s always had a deep, profound and dare I say emotional impact on the audience and truly serves to underpin the rest of the event, reminding us all about the impact of dementia on the lives of those diagnosed with the disease as well as the ripple impact through families”, he stated, before giving the floor to the first speaker, Kevin Quaid, Chairperson of the EWGPWD, from Ireland.
Kevin’s talk focused on “Going forward from Helsinki”. The Helsinki Manifesto, adopted by Alzheimer Europe at its 2023 Annual General Meeting in Helsinki, Finland, addresses key areas impacting people with dementia, their families and carers, including health, research, disability and social rights, and support for informal carers.
“The voices of people with dementia, regardless of the type or the stage, and of the people and families who care for or support us, matter the most”, he said. “We are no longer asking to be listened to; we demand it. We will no longer accept being put at the bottom of the list of disabilities.”
“The Helsinki Manifesto is not just a document”, he stressed. “It highlights the issues that affect people the most who are affected by dementia, both the person with the diagnosis and their loved ones. This is what we called the ‘lived experience’, and these are the voices that, from this day forward, must be front and centre of everything that involves dementia.”
Not only is this a huge benefit for researchers, but thanks to that research, the lives of people with dementia will be greatly enhanced. It is a vital exchange, for all concerned, he emphasised.
In closing, he said, “this is a document that everyone needs to know about. Read it and act upon it! If you feel that you can’t do anything to help, then take it to your local elected representative and ask them what they are doing to implement it. Tell them the time for talking is over and now is the time for action!”
The second speaker was Annick Germeys, member of the EDCWG, from Belgium. She is a mother of two children and wife to Geert. She is also a board member and member of the carers working group of Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen.
She shared her perspective as a carer for Geert, who was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2022 at the age of 53. Her talk explored how technology could become a true partner in dementia care.
She discussed supporting daily routines, communication, safety and cognitive stimulation, all with the aim of helping people with dementia live at home longer and with dignity. This topic, she noted, had also been discussed within the meetings of the EDCWG, where members reflected on how personalised and adaptive technologies, guided by real-life needs, can support both people with dementia and their carers — without ever replacing or overshadowing the role of family carers.
Gerda Van Tongerloo, Vice-Chairperson of the EWGPWD, from the Netherlands took the floor next, with her talk titled “In the Silence of the Symptoms, hear the Echo of a Soul…”.
She began by saying “there is an urgent need for respectful communication about dementia and people with dementia, as highlighted in the guidelines on respectful and inclusive communication developed by the EWGPWD together with the EDCWG”, highlighting that dementia is often treated differently, compared to other conditions and illnesses. “This is reflected in language that defines individuals by the problems associated with dementia”, she said.
She also emphasised that “the scientific community is increasingly recognising the importance of the social aspect of dementia, rather than solely focusing on the disease. This shift is leading to more initiatives that prioritise daily life and respectful communication”. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of work to be done.
In closing she stated that “to change the language, it is essential that those of us with lived experience are at the centre of research and practice.”
The fourth and final speaker in this plenary session was Rosslyn Vella, Vice-Chairperson of the EDCWG, from Malta, who spoke about “The Caregiver's Compass: Navigating policy to achieve patient-centred palliative care in dementia".
“This is a framework that emphasises the crucial role of policy in improving palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia and us caregivers”, she began. This approach, she went on “recognises that dementia is a multifaceted terminal illness and that care should be person-centred, holistic and supportive of the entire family unit. The framework is built on the understanding that caregivers are essential partners in care and that our needs must be addressed in policy and practice.”
But this approach is not just about the final days of life, she pointed out, but rather it should be integrated from the time of diagnosis and continue throughout the disease trajectory. She spoke about the central role of the family, listing some of the key components of family-centred palliative care and highlighting the benefits of this approach.
“By supporting the entire family, a palliative care approach can lead to reduced caregiver stress and burden, improved quality of life for the person with dementia, a more peaceful and dignified end-of-life experience, fewer unnecessary hospitalisations and aggressive medical interventions, and a stronger sense of empowerment and control for families who often feel helpless in the face of the disease”, she said.
She then shared some of the key components of the Palliative Approach Framework and some of the challenges to current policy and practice, concluding that “the journey of dementia care should not be a solitary one for families. By adopting a palliative care approach, we can shift our focus from merely treating the disease to holistically supporting the person with dementia and their loved ones. This isn't just about end-of-life care; it's about improving the quality of every day, from diagnosis onwards. She also said that “by making these changes, we can transform dementia care from a fragmented and often overwhelming experience into a compassionate and person-centred journey. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no family has to navigate the complexities of this illness alone. Let's work together to make this a reality for every person with dementia and us caregiver.”
Trevor Salomon thanked all of the speakers for their excellent presentations and the session closed with a warm and enthusiastic round of applause from the audience.
Parallel sessions
Following the opening ceremony, delegates had the chance to join one of eleven parallel sessions, including two in Italian – one apiece organised by our co-hosts, Alzheimer Uniti Italia and Federazione Alzheimer Italia. Other sessions included “Family carers of people with dementia” (moderated by Rosylnn Vella, Vice-Chairperson of the EDCWG), “People with dementia” (a series of Quick Oral Presentations, moderated by Dianne Gove, Director for Public Involvement and Ethics), “Artificial Intelligence” (moderated by Cindy Birck, Project Officer), “Dementia Strategies” (moderated by Owen Miller, Policy Officer), “Home Care”, “Assistive Technologies” and “Young-Onset Dementia”. A session on “Dementia in underserved communities” was organised by INTERDEM, and the remaining session was sponsored by the REBALANCE project and was titled “Connecting science with patients, nurses, and public voices in Alzheimer's care”.
Following a short break, a further eleven parallel sessions were held, again including two in Italian, organised by Alzheimer Uniti Italia and Federazione Alzheimer Italia respectively. At another of the parallel sessions, titled “People with dementia”, several of the speakers were people living with dementia, including Jan Runar Eliassen, Věra Ryšavá and Lieselotte “Lilo” Klotz (who moderated the session), all three of whom are members of the EWGPWD. Other sessions explored topics such as “Detection and diagnosis”, “Brain health & prevention”, “Preparing for new AD treatments”, “Residential care”, Nature & Animal programmes (moderated by Christophe Bintener, Project Officer) and “Rare forms of dementia”. The other two sessions were sponsored sessions, including one organised by La Meridiana, called “Exploring the Possibility of Community between Innovation and Long-Term Care in Alzheimer Village”. The other was on “Breaking down barriers: promoting inclusive research participation and data sharing in dementia” and was sponsored by Gates Ventures.
Breaking down barriers: promoting inclusive research participation and data sharing in dementia
The session “Breaking down barriers: promoting inclusive research participation and data sharing in dementia” explored how to make dementia research more representative and collaborative. Speakers discussed factors that influence participation, particularly among underrepresented groups, and the value of responsible data sharing in accelerating discovery. Paddy Crosbie, member of the European Dementia Carers Working Group, shared perspectives from lived experience, Michael Schöll (University of Gothenburg) presented lessons from the REAL-AD and AD-RIDDLE studies, Matt Clement (Gates Ventures) highlighted how the AD Data Initiative and EPND are advancing data-driven science, and Lukas Duffner (Alzheimer Europe) outlined findings from a public poll on attitudes to dementia research and data sharing. The session was chaired by Angela Bradshaw (Alzheimer Europe) and supported by Gates Ventures.
Welcome Reception
To close day one of the conference, a Welcome Reception was held at the Congress Center from 18.30 to 20.00. Our co-hosts Alzheimer Uniti Italia and Federazione Alzheimer Italia took the opportunity to welcome everyone
Drinks and snacks were served to a live soundtrack of musical entertainment provided by Banda Rulli Frulli and supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region.
European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia meets in Bologna, prior to #35AEC
The European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia held an in-person meeting on 5 and 6 October in Bologna Italy, advance of #35AEC. 24 European countries were represented at the meeting Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom (Scotland).
In addition to representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission’s Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and from Alzheimer Europe. Over the course of the two-day meeting, the group heard about national dementia strategies and policies, as well as European and international policy developments.
Presentations were given on a range of subjects, with national representations primarily focused on updates on their national dementia strategies and policies, as well as their ways of monitoring and evaluating these. The OECD provided an update on its ongoing work on dementia care and forthcoming report on the subject. WHO provided an update on the global developments relating to dementia, including the extension of the Global Action Plan on Dementia, whilst Alzheimer Europe provided updates on European developments, work on reimbursement and regulatory policies for new treatments, as well as research into risk factors on dementia.
The European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia was formed in 2018 by Alzheimer Europe, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Scottish Government and is facilitated by Alzheimer Europe.
INTERDEM network hosts Annual Meeting in Bologna
INTERDEM is a network of researchers interested in psychosocial interventions, made up of more than 600 researchers and academics with different professional disciplines, spread across 20 countries (18 of which are in Europe). On 5 and 6 October, the INTERDEM network hosted its Annual Meeting at the Bologna Congress Center, prior to #35AEC.
On 5 October, the meeting kicked off with a welcome from INTERDEM Chairperson Marjolein de Vugt, to all researchers present, before a presentation by Simone Salemme, M.D. (Neurologist, University of Camerino and University of Modena e Regio Emilia, and Consultant of the National Institute of Health on dementia prevention), about “Bridging data and policy for brain health in Italy: Insights from regional and national analyses on dementia prevention”.
Following this, a workshop, titled “How can INTERDEM support establishing European consortia?” was provided by Prof. Martin Orrell (Director of the Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham) and Prof. Manuel Franco (Head of Psychiatry and Mental Health Service, Zamora Health Complex & Associate Professor for Psychopathology and Mental Health, University of Salamanca).
On day two of the meeting, nice taskforce meetings were held on the topics of Prevention, Palliative & End of Life Care, Intersectionality, Assistive Technology, Methodology, Inequalities in Dementia Care, Social Health, Young Onset Dementia, and Dementia Education and Training.
This year’s meeting also marked a special milestone in the history of INTERDEM: the farewell of three founding board members, Frans Verhey, Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, and Esme Moniz-Cook, who established the network 25 years ago. Their vision, dedication, and long-standing commitment laid the foundation for what INTERDEM has become today, a vibrant, connected community advancing psychosocial dementia research across Europe. The network expressed heartfelt thanks to them.
The meeting was rounded out with the presentation of the INTERDEM Academy award, chaired by Frans Verhey. The Award went to Kate Turley, congratulations to her!
Alzheimer Europe is proud to be a key partner of INTERDEM.
Meetings of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) and European Dementia Carers Working Group (EDCWG)
On 5 October, members of the EWGPWD and EDCWG met in Bologna. This was the first face-to-face meeting of members of both working groups in the current term of office. In the meeting of the EWGPWD, members addressed the topic of culture, leisure and transport for the AE yearbook, further developed the content of the report on the use of technology by and for people with dementia and took part in a series of short consultations led by PhD students of the HOMEDEM project. The members of the EDCWG also worked on the report on the use of technology as well as on the topic of citizen science in the context of the EPND project.
On 6 October, the EWGPWD and EDCWG each took part in a consultation for the FluidX-AD project, separately. The EDCWG provided feedback on AE’s 2025 Yearbook on culture, leisure and transport. This was followed by the networking event for people with dementia attending the conference and a guided tour of the conference centres.
Supporting continence care in collaboration with the Urge to Act initiative
Alzheimer Europe is involved in an initiative called the “Urge to Act” and has previously endorsed its Call for Action and supported communications around the initiative.
In the context of this collaboration, we have also taken the opportunity, during our Annual Conference in Bologna, to ensure that continence care is supported.
Women’s toilets contain sanitary disposal bins as standard, but we have ensured that each of the men’s toilet blocks also contain a stall with a sanitary disposal bin, so that any men with or without dementia have access to these bins, to help them manage any continence issues they may have.
Alzheimer Europe would like to extend a warm welcome to all delegates and remind everyone to use the hashtag #35AEC to join/follow the conversation on our social media channels (Live posting on X, daily posting on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn)
Acknowledgement
Alzheimer Europe gratefully acknowledges the support of all conference sponsors, with particular thanks to Gold sponsor Lilly, Silver sponsor Bristol Myers Squibb, and Bronze sponsors, BioArctic, Biogen, Eisai, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Roche and UCB.
For further information, contact:
Jean Georges, Executive Director, Alzheimer Europe, 5, Heienhaff, L-1736 Luxembourg, Tel.: +352-29 79 70, Fax: +352-29 79 72, jean.georges@alzheimer-europe.org, www.alzheimer-europe.org
Notes to editors:
Alzheimer Europe is the umbrella organisation of national Alzheimer associations and currently has 41 member organisations in 36 European countries.
The European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) was launched by Alzheimer Europe in 2012. It is composed entirely of people with dementia, nominated by their national Alzheimer associations. They work to ensure that the activities of Alzheimer Europe reflect the priorities and views of people with dementia. The group operates independently and the Chairperson is also an ex-officio member on the Board of Alzheimer Europe with full voting rights. (/www.alzheimer-europe.org/Alzheimer-Europe/Who-we-are/European-Working-G…)
The European Dementia Carers Working Group (EDCWG) was launched by Alzheimer Europe and its member associations in 2022. It is composed of current carers, relatives and supporters of people with dementia or carers with prior experience of caring in the 5 years prior to their nomination by their national Alzheimer associations. They work to ensure that the activities, projects and meetings of Alzheimer Europe duly reflect the priorities and views of people caring for a person with dementia. The group operates independently and the Chairperson is also an ex-officio member on the Board of Alzheimer Europe with full voting rights. (https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/about-us/european-dementia-carers-work…)
The European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia was formed in 2018 by Alzheimer Europe, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Scottish Government and is facilitated by Alzheimer Europe. It met for the first time in late 2018, after the European Commission disbanded a similar group in summer of that year. The group brings together government-nominated representatives from across Europe to discuss progress and developments in relation to dementia policy, practice and research.
INTERDEM is a pan-European network of researchers collaborating in research on and dissemination of Early, Timely and Quality Psychosocial Interventions in Dementia aimed at improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their supporters, across Europe (http://interdem.org/).
An Urge to Act: Continence health problems constitute a major health issue that affects a large part of Europe’s population, but which is currently not receiving the focus and attention it should. It does not only have a significant impact on patients and their loved ones but also national health systems, the economy, the environment and society. The Urge to Act is a Europe-wide campaign, initiated by the EAU Policy Office, aimed at achieving substantial change in policies relating to incontinence across Europe. Learn more about An Urge to Act and help spread awareness of continence health: https://uroweb.org/an-urge-to-act