The "Programme Dementia Prevention” (PDP) in Luxembourg is a nation-wide initiative designed to tackle cognitive decline and dementia risk among the population. The programme is open to people with either Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD). It is composed of a first stage where people get an initial referral, neuropsychological assessment and risk factor profiling. Subsequently, the results of assessments are provided to participants as well as vouchers for access to multi-domain interventions depending on people’s preferences and specific risk factors. Individuals are then followed up over time.
The PDP offers a diverse range of activities and services delivered by local partners across Luxembourg, ranging from cognitive training and physical activities to psychological and dietary counselling. These offerings are updated based on the latest scientific evidence and feedback from participants, ensuring relevance and accessibility. The present article, published in PubMed, was aimed at describing and evaluating the feasibility of the programme. The programme enrolled 450 participants since its launch in February 2018, with an average age of 69.5 years. 87.1% of participants had MCI at baseline, while 7.3% had SCD and 4.7% were excluded due to suspected dementia. The programme received referrals from various medical professionals, with general practitioners being the most common (68.5%), leading to a steady increase in appointments over time.
The average time between appointments was approximately 70 days and the programme offered regional consultation sites to improve accessibility, with about 18.9% of participants choosing this option. A survey conducted 11 months after the programme's launch showed positive feedback from referring physicians, indicating satisfaction with the programme’s individualised approach and recommendations for patient care. Despite its overall success, the PDP faces several challenges, including addressing mobility issues and navigating Luxembourg's linguistic diversity. Efforts to overcome these challenges include offering flexible recruitment locations and multilingual support for participants and staff. Looking ahead, the PDP aims to further expand its offerings and engage in outreach activities such as informative events. Find out more:
