Table 2 Austria

Area (2021)

83,900 km² [17]

Spread of dementia-specific outpatient care services for people with dementia

Nationwide

Expert notes regarding outpatient care

In urban areas, the offer is greater than in rural areas. Larger cities such as Vienna and Graz have geriatric centres, memory clinics, and other facilities that focus on early detection, diagnosis, and preventive measures regarding dementia. However, there are also gerontopsychiatric centres in rural areas and dementia self-help groups at the municipal level.

Spread of dementia-specific  inpatient care services  for people with dementia

In urban areas

Expert notes regarding inpatient care

The urban-rural disparity is much greater than in outpatient care. The responsible district hospitals are poorly equipped in terms of dementia care, as they have no specialists or psychiatry services. A number of specialised facilities offer high-quality dementia care. However, these services are not sufficient to meet existing needs.

Expert conclusion regarding dementia-specific care structures

The structures are insufficiently developed, while the need for dementia-specific care is growing due to demographic change.

Existing models of good practise

1. The nationwide availability of multilingual information on dementia,

2. the system of outreach by home care nurses,

3. the legal possibility of professionalising the role of a family caregiver, including the associated entitlement to a salary, holidays, and paid rehabilitation