ADawarE Makes Its Debut at Alzheimer Europe Conference 2026
Dublin, Ireland – The European project ADawarE (Dementia Awareness Among Immigrant Communities in Europe) is being showcased for the first time at the Alzheimer Europe Conference 2026 in Dublin, marking an important milestone in the project's efforts to improve dementia awareness and reduce inequalities in access to care among migrant communities across Europe.
Presented through the poster "Bridging Cultures, Breaking Barriers: Dementia Awareness Among Immigrant Communities in Austria, Greece, and Norway", the project highlights its ongoing work to address cultural, linguistic and informational barriers that can delay dementia recognition and help-seeking among people with migration backgrounds.
The Alzheimer Europe Conference 2026 provides a valuable international platform for the consortium to share its activities with researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, patient organizations and members of the public. For many conference participants, this will be their first opportunity to learn about the ambitious goals and early findings of the ADawarE initiative.
Addressing an Overlooked Challenge
Research consistently shows that dementia is often not recognized as a medical condition within some immigrant communities. Symptoms may instead be interpreted as a normal part of ageing, simple forgetfulness, spiritual phenomena or family-related issues. These perceptions can contribute to delayed diagnosis and reduced access to support services.
ADawarE was established to tackle these challenges by identifying migrant communities with the greatest need for dementia-awareness interventions and developing culturally adapted approaches that improve knowledge, reduce stigma and promote timely access to care.
Focus on Priority Communities
The project partners have selected target communities based on demographic data, ageing profiles, cultural and linguistic barriers, and evidence of inequalities in dementia awareness and healthcare access. Current focus groups include:
- Arabic-speaking communities and people originating from Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and Türkiye in Austria.
- People with migration backgrounds from Albania and Georgia in Greece.
- People with migration backgrounds from Ukraine and Pakistan in Norway.
Developing Tailored Awareness Solutions
ADawarE is exploring a range of community-centred approaches to dementia awareness, including:
- Community-based education programmes
- Culturally adapted information sessions
- Peer educators and community ambassadors
- Multilingual educational materials
- Digital storytelling initiatives
- Interactive role-playing activities
- Family-oriented awareness programmes
These approaches are designed to ensure that dementia information is accessible, relevant and culturally meaningful for diverse communities across Europe.
Looking Ahead
While the project is still ongoing, ADawarE has already generated valuable insights through focus groups and stakeholder engagement activities. The findings presented at the conference will contribute to the development of tailored, culturally sensitive and community-driven dementia-awareness interventions that can ultimately help reduce health inequalities and improve access to diagnosis, care and support.
By presenting at the Alzheimer Europe Conference for the first time, ADawarE is increasing the visibility of its mission and engaging with the wider dementia community to support more inclusive dementia care across Europe.