A new national facility for holistic care, education, and social empowerment is being established in our country, combining care services, education, research, and innovation, with the aim of providing modern, comprehensive, and person-centred care to individuals with dementia and their families.
The Bodossaki Foundation, as a member of “Initiative ’21”, is participating in the creation of the Centre, which is the result of a partnership between the State, the National Bank of Greece, and 11 leading public-benefit foundations participating in “Initiative ’21”, in collaboration with Local Authorities and the Church.
The renovation of the premises, the purchase of equipment, and the first two years of the unit’s operation shall be funded thanks to a €4.49 million grant provided by the following members of “Initiative ’21” collaborating on this project: National Bank of Greece, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation, Paul & Alexandra Canellopoulos Foundation, Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, The Social and Cultural Affairs Welfare Foundation (KIKPE), Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Athina I. Martinou Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, TIMA Charitable Foundation, and Onassis Foundation.
The agreement for the establishment of the Centre was signed on Thursday, 1 October at the Maximos Mansion, in the presence of the Prime Minister.
The lead implementing body is Health Units S.A. (AEMY S.A.), ensuring the Centre’s institutional integration into the public health system and the long-term sustainability of the venture.
The National Model Centre will be developed and housed in a ground-floor facility spanning 724 square metres in Peristeri, in a building granted by the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri. Among other services, it will provide comprehensive care services such as cognitive empowerment, occupational therapy, and music therapy; prevention, diagnosis, and systematic follow-up services; counselling support for relatives and caregivers, including via telemedicine; as well as educational programmes for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and young scientists.
At full capacity, the new facility will serve up to 160 beneficiaries per day free of charge, including patients and caregivers, and approximately 5,000 annually.
At the same time, the Centre will undertake the development of quality standards and evaluation methods for the continuous improvement of dementia facilities in Greece, and will support volunteering, awareness-raising, and civil society education initiatives.
The National Model Centre for Dementia is expected to become operational in September 2027, following the completion of renovation work on the facilities, the acquisition of the necessary equipment, and staff training. It will then enter a pilot operation phase, with the transition to full regular operation scheduled for spring 2028.
“I would like to begin, first of all, by expressing my heartfelt thanks to all the foundations which, in collaboration with the Government, are launching today -as we saw in this presentation- something truly unique: the first model centre in our country for dementia and related cognitive disorders.
Our aim is to provide knowledge, as well as services and good practices, to similar facilities operating throughout the Greek territory. At the same time, the Centre will also promote both research and broader public awareness,” noted the Prime Minister during the event. I should like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reaching today’s milestone, precisely because the State managed to cooperate with civil society, as represented by the foundations, with the local Church, and with the Municipality. And I would say that because this is a problem that concerns us all, it is also addressed by us all. We have demonstrated in practice that this collaboration can yield very tangible results,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis remarked.
“We have the opportunity to transform the landscape of dementia care through prevention, early detection, therapeutic intervention, and something I consider extremely important, as it is often requested by families: the training of informal caregivers who attend to the needs of people with dementia,” stated Deputy Minister of Health Eirini Agapidaki.
Having seen similar facilities in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland, the Centre will be set up exactly as it should be, and it will be every bit as good – in fact, I would say it is even better,” emphasised the Advisor to the National Bank of Greece and Coordinator of “Initiative ’21”, Ioannis Manos.
“Finally, I would like to comment on this alliance between the public and private sectors for the common good, which is also evident at today’s event. I am a firm believer in such partnerships. I believe that, in these difficult times we are living, in an era of fiscal constraints for all governments, it is vital that civil society, foundations, and our more affluent fellow citizens can leave their own distinct footprint on this shared effort that concerns us all,” noted Kyriakos Mitsotakis.