The most common type of dementia

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of all diagnosed cases. With dementia being a major cause of dependency among older people globally, family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s make up roughly 5% of the Swiss population. Despite the extensive research on Alzheimer’s emotional impact on the lives of those affected, little is known about supporting family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s during the transition process from diagnosis to acceptance.

Missing Process Guidance and Support

Through the exploration of patterns found in a diversity of interviews, it has been discovered that one of the primary hurdles encountered by family caregivers is the daunting task of providing care for people with Alzheimer’s. Family caregivers suffer from being overwhelmed by the new realities and feel helpless and insecure to approach the process of acceptance. The lack of guidance and support during the post-diagnostic transition process leads to people experiencing challenges in navigating support services and acquiring help.

Process Optimization and Service Design

The co-created proposed concept encompasses process optimization and service design to support and guide caregivers of people with Alzheimer‘s in the transition process from diagnosis to acceptance. This is achieved by including relevant and concrete reference points that reduce feelings of uncertainty and helplessness at the diagnosis while offering guidance throughout the journey. Recognizing the importance of individual needs and the complexity of the problem, the service design concept incorporates several subconcepts to address the challenges systematically.