Community support programmes for people affected by dementia in Athens, Greece
The nonprofit organization AAADRD opened four day care centres across Athens to directly provide support services to people affected by dementia. The organization also campaigned extensively to gain attention for their cause and pushed the government to develop a national dementia action plan; highly motivated actors directly affected by dementia or working in related fields played an important role in identifying and understanding service delivery gaps; as a specialized organization, AAADRD was able to mobilize a large network of dedicated supporters. Connections established with similar organizations furthered advocacy efforts; sustainability of the initiative relies on growing government commitment, securing resources for activities and successfully implementing the national dementia action plan.