Research call to improve end of life experience for people with dementia

The £1 million fund is available through Alzheimer’s Society and Marie Curie. The objective of the call is to understand and address the unique needs of people with dementia, and to provide the right care and support which will improve the end-of-life experience for people with dementia and their carers. 

About the programme

Key dates

• Applications open: 4 June 2024
• Deadline for receiving expressions of interest: 30 July 2024
• Deadline for full applications: 28 October 2024
• Applicants notified of outcome: March 2025

Duration

• Up to 2 years

Budget

• £1,000,000

Funding Partners

• Marie Curie and Alzheimer's Society

Background

Recent evidence suggests that by 2040 there will be 1.4 million people with dementia in England and Wales. Dementia is UK’s biggest killer, yet there are currently significant gaps in both evidence and service provision for people dying of, or with, dementia, meaning that many are not receiving the right care and support to have the best possible experience at the end of their lives. 

Programme Guidelines

Research proposals should be impactful and have well-specified and feasible pathways to involve policy and decision makers, people with relevant lived experience, and other key stakeholders. 

Both Alzheimer’s Society and Marie Curie are committed to fund research which considers issues around equity, diversity, and inclusion. Therefore, careful consideration should be given to project design and delivery, involving a diverse range of voices with lived experiences to help inform an inclusive research project. 

To address the unique needs of people with dementia at the end-of-life stage, we are interested in receiving research proposals that can relate to:

• Models of palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia that are feasible to deliver within the structures and resources currently available in the UK, evidence on efficacy, economic benefits, and implementation.
• Integration of palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia; understanding and addressing challenges of partnership working between health and social care from commissioners to practitioners.
• Advance care planning for people with dementia. 
• Supporting unpaid carers providing at home care.
• Meeting psychological, social, and spiritual support needs for people with dementia.
• Understanding and responding to the views of people with dementia on what a good end-of-life experience looks like.
• Supporting people with dementia living rurally; how best to provide care and support to a dispersed population.
• Identifying and understanding palliative need and dying for people with dementia.
• Supporting staff across settings to understand and address the needs of people dying of or with dementia.