Thematic track: Health care and social care for people living with dementia

Health care and social care for people living with dementia is one of four thematic tracks in the call Research centre grants 2025. The overall focus of the call applies to the track.

About this track

For this track, Forte intends to fund two centres.

• Maximum amount that can be applied for: 100 million SEK
• Project start: 1 January 2026

Dementia is a chronic and progressive condition that often leads to significant impairments, affecting both the individual and their family members. Developing a dementia-related illness is not a natural part of ageing. While the risk increases with age, younger individuals can also be affected. Although dementia cannot currently be cured, it is possible to reduce the risk of memory-related problems and promote brain health through healthy lifestyle choices. Around 40 per cent of all dementia cases may be linked to modifiable lifestyle factors (Varje dag räknas: Nationell demensstrategi 2025–2028 External link.). As more people are expected to live with dementia, the demand for health care and social care will increase.

This track aims to increase knowledge about how interventions, methods and care practices for people living with dementia can be developed and improved. Particular focus is placed on the areas of nursing, social work, and support in daily life. Poor collaboration and coordination or unclear responsibilities between different actors can create challenges for professionals, individuals living with dementia, and their families. Research within the centres should therefore ideally involve various types of organisations, professions, and responsible authorities, as well as explore ways to strengthen collaboration – ensuring that the needs of older individuals are in focus and that informal caregiving can be carried out in a voluntary and sustainable way. This track also includes early and preventative measures. However, research about the biomedical mechanisms and processes behind dementia, as well as the development or testing of medical treatments, is not included.

The research must consider issues of inequality and gender. There are also specific knowledge needs concerning different groups of people living with dementia. These include individuals with intellectual disabilities, younger people living with dementia, national minorities, and people born outside Sweden. It is also essential that individuals living with dementia and their families are actively involved in the research.