Projektname
Nachhaltige Implementierung des DemCare-Konzepts für die Betreuung von Menschen mit Demenz in zehn Langzeitinstitutionen

Projektleitung
Kornelia Kotkowski

INS-Projektteam
Kornelia Kotkowski
Flaka Siqeca
Désirée Meury
Franziska Zúñiga

Externe Projektpartner
Gesundheitszentren für das Alter, Schulungszentrum Gesundheit (SGZ) (Dr. Tatjana Meyer-Heim, Eva Horvath)
Schulungszentrum Gesundheit, SGZ, Zürich (Dr. Marcel Maier)

Ort der Datenerhebung
Gesundheitszentren für das Alter, Zürich

Laufzeit
2026 bis 2029

Projektbeschreibung
Background
Worldwide, more than 55 million people are living with dementia. In Switzerland, over 70% of residents in long‑term care facilities (LTCFs) have a dementia diagnosis or exhibit dementia‑related symptoms. Dementia is a progressive and incurable condition that profoundly affects memory, cognition, behavior, and daily functioning beyond what is expected in normal aging. In addition to cognitive and physical decline, many residents experience behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which are frequently managed with antipsychotic medications, even though these agents carry significant risks. Robust evidence indicates that person‑centered and non‑pharmacological interventions are the most effective first‑line strategies for enhancing quality of life and well-being in individuals with dementia. Against this backdrop, the Senior Health Centers of the City of Zurich (hereafter GFA [Gesundheitszentren für das Alter]) developed DemCare in 2013. DemCare consists of a set of evidence‑based and expert-consensus recommendations across six interacting domains that capture the key elements of person‑centered, non‑pharmacological dementia care. Supported by the Swiss National Dementia Strategy 2014–2019, DemCare has been promoted as a reference model for dementia care in Swiss LTCFs. To date, its implementation has never undergone a systematic evaluation, and its wider adoption across Switzerland remains limited. 

Study objectives
The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the current state of DemCare implementation across ten GFA sites and to pilot-test the developed logic model and implementation blueprint to support the sustainable integration of DemCare in LTCFs. This includes assessing fidelity to and acceptability of its key elements, examining contextual adaptations, identifying determinants of successful implementation, and evaluating implementation strategies, as well as building a logic model and implementation blueprint to foster its further use. The study also explores the impact of DemCare on residents and staff. The final product will be a co-created logic model of DemCare and an implementation blueprint designed to facilitate the sustainable, national scale-up of DemCare. 

Methods
This multicenter project applies an implementation science framework across five work packages: (WP0) co-design process; (WP1) scoping review; (WP2) exploration of current implementation of and experiences with DemCare; (WP3) description and trends of antipsychotic medication use, and (WP4) pilot-testing of the developed logic model and implementation blueprint to support the sustainable integration of DemCare. 

Significance of the study
The absence of guidelines and supporting materials represents a major barrier to translating DemCare recommendations into routine practice across Swiss LTCFs. Despite ten years of experience implementing DemCare in ten GFA sites, its adoption has never been systematically evaluated. This study will provide the first evidence on DemCare implementation and its associated outcomes and will deliver practical guidance in the form of a co-designed logic model and implementation blueprint to facilitate the scale-up of DemCare in Switzerland, initially on a regional and subsequently on a national level