Dementia affects many people — but not all in the same way. Individuals living with dementia bring diverse life stories, cultural backgrounds, identities, and social circumstances. Young people with dementia, individuals with a migration background, queer communities, people with disabilities, and those living in precarious situations often face additional barriers in accessing care — whether structural, linguistic, or cultural.

Focus 2026: Dementia and Diversity

The National Dementia Conference 2026 places a spotlight on how Switzerland can achieve equitable, inclusive, and culturally sensitive dementia care for everyone — regardless of origin, language, gender, age, income, or life situation.

The conference invites professionals, researchers, people with dementia, family members, and policymakers to reflect on key questions:

• Where do current care models reach their limits?

• How can access to diagnosis, counseling, and support be made more equitable?

• What new approaches help strengthen participation, accessibility, and social justice?

Core Themes and Guiding Questions

The program highlights interdisciplinary and practice-oriented perspectives from medicine, nursing, psychology, social sciences, and public health:

• Ensuring equal opportunities in dementia care — in hospitals, long-term care, home-based support, and community settings

• The role of language, culture, education, gender identity, and social status in accessing diagnosis and services

• Structural conditions required to ensure no one falls through the cracks

• Best practices, innovative solutions, and hands-on approaches from the field

With the 2026 theme Dementia and Diversity, the National Dementia Conference creates a space for dialogue, reflection, and diverse perspectives. The aim is to deepen understanding of inclusion, fairness, and dignity in dementia care — and to generate concrete impulses for research, practice, and policy development.

About the National Dementia Conference

Since 2021, the conference has established itself as Switzerland’s leading bilingual platform for exchange, networking, and orientation — both online and on-site in Bern. It brings together experts, decision-makers, researchers, people with dementia, and their families to discuss current developments, emerging challenges, and future directions in dementia care.

The National Dementia Conference is jointly organized by Alzheimer Switzerland and Public Health Switzerland.