A new video from Forte shines a spotlight on two recently funded Swedish research centres that aim to strengthen dementia research over the next decade. In the film, the directors of TraCeDem at Karolinska Institutet and DEMSAM at the University of Gothenburg discuss the challenges of dementia and the need for research that supports people in everyday life.
Dementia is a growing public health challenge, affecting individuals, families and society. To help address this challenge, Forte has highlighted two new research centres: TraCeDem at Karolinska Institutet and DEMSAM at the University of Gothenburg. Both centres will contribute to dementia research in Sweden over the next ten years.
New approaches needed
In the video, the centres' directors, Amaia Calderón Larrañaga from TraCeDem and Helle Wijk from DEMSAM, describe why new approaches are needed to prevent dementia, improve care and provide better support to those affected by the condition.
A key theme in the discussion is inequality. The researchers point to differences in access to prevention, care and support, and stress the importance of ensuring that more people can benefit from knowledge and services. They also highlight the need to bring research closer to everyday practice so that findings can be translated into real-world improvements.
Bring research closer to practice
Both centres focus on person-centred care, prevention and early detection. Another priority is improving coordination between different parts of society that support people with dementia and their relatives.
"Dementia is a growing public health challenge. By bringing research closer to everyday practice and strengthening collaboration between healthcare, municipalities, researchers and society, we can contribute to better prevention, support and care for people living with dementia and their relatives," says Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga , director of TraCeDem , associate professor and research group leader at the Aging Research Center , Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society , Karolinska Institutet.
The video also emphasises personalised prevention and timely support, as well as stronger collaboration between healthcare providers, municipalities, researchers and society at large.
