DEM(H)CARE – Coordinated Dementia Care for Older Adults Living at Home

As the population ages, dementia is becoming an increasingly significant challenge for health and social care systems. In Sweden, most people with dementia continue to live in their own homes, which is often beneficial for the individual but places high demands on well-functioning, coordinated care.

DEM(H)CARE is an interdisciplinary research programme at Linköping University that focuses on improving collaboration between home care services, municipal health and medical care, and primary care. The aim is to create more integrated and person-centred care for older adults with dementia living in ordinary housing.

The programme examines how care is currently organised and identifies good examples of collaboration between different actors. The research covers:

• how collaboration and work processes function and develop

• staff practices and experiences

• the use of solutions such as dementia care teams and welfare technology

• perspectives from professionals, people with dementia, and their relatives

Studies are conducted in different types of municipalities—from rural areas to large cities—to highlight both shared and context-specific challenges.

Through close collaboration between research and practice, DEM(H)CARE contributes knowledge that can support the development of more coordinated, efficient, and person-centred care for people with dementia living at home.