World Alzheimer Report 2025 published by Alzheimer’s Disease International  

This year’s World Alzheimer Report has been published by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), entitled: ‘Reimagining life with dementia – The power of rehabilitation’.  

The report, co-authored by ADI, the University of Exeter and the University of Sydney, explores how rehabilitation is defined and implemented, looks at practical considerations for how best to adapt rehabilitation practices for people living with dementia in different contexts, and includes expert essays and real-world case studies from multiple countries. 

Key findings include: 

• People with dementia rarely have access to rehabilitation, despite evidence that they can benefit from it.  

• Studies have shown that people who had engaged in tailored individual cognitive rehabilitation had lower levels of disability than people who had received only standard care, and remained in their own homes for six months longer than average before moving into residential care.  

• Seizures are up to seven times more common in people with dementia compared with peers of the same age, while falls that cause injury are two to three times more common for people living with dementia, potentially leading to reduced mobility and quality of life. Modifications to the lived environment can reduce certain risks and empower people living with dementia to be more confident in continuing to carry out activities of daily living.  

Paola Barbarino, Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Disease International, says: 

“After talking with people living with dementia, carers, and healthcare professionals in many countries, it has been clear that the benefits of rehabilitation remain largely unknown and unimplemented when it comes to dementia. This is in large part due to a lack of awareness and understanding about what rehabilitation might look like for people living with dementia.  

There are many kinds of rehabilitation, including physical (the most commonly recognisable), cognitive, spatial, visual rehabilitation, and so on. The key to effective dementia rehabilitation, no matter with which condition someone has been diagnosed, is for the intervention to be tailor-made to individual requirements and circumstances. This person-centred precision approach yields better chances of effectiveness, as described across the essays in this report, allowing people living with dementia to maintain their functional abilities and independence and remain in their home for longer – factors that undoubtedly have an impact on private and public care costs.” 

Paola Barbarino continues: 

“We believe rehabilitation to be a sustainable alternative worth exploring in more depth alongside treatment options. Some rehabilitation interventions can be supported by advanced assistive technology – but a lot can be achieved with a simple whiteboard, pen, or timer. The report also explores how informal carers can be active participants in the rehabilitation process, accompanying their loved ones in ways that feel empowering for both parties. The many techniques and strategies detailed throughout the report will, we hope, help demystify rehabilitation and provide tangible tools for its implementation in real life.” 

You can read the report here: https://www.alzint.org/u/World-Alzheimer-Report-2025.pdf