Zürich Puts a Face to Dementia
This week the city launched a public awareness campaign called «Demenz heisst nicht vergessen...» — "Dementia doesn't mean forgetting..." — centred on the real, everyday lives of those living with the condition and the family members who care for them.
The numbers behind it are significant. Around 8,000 people in Zürich are estimated to be living with dementia, and that figure is rising. Sixty percent of them live at home, looked after by relatives. Despite that scale, the topic remains largely invisible in public life — more so than most illnesses, still quietly stigmatised in ways that make ordinary contact harder than it needs to be.
The campaign pushes back against the usual imagery of loss and decline. Instead it focuses on what persists: personality, relationships, dignity. Personal stories from those affected, their families, and healthcare professionals sit at its centre.
City councillor Andreas Hauri put it plainly: a dementia-friendly city isn't just about medical infrastructure and accessible services — it's also about how people treat each other day to day. That takes knowledge and openness, not just policy.
The campaign is one of eight measures within the city's broader Pilotprojekt Demenz, which also produced a new municipal website consolidating information and support resources for those affected, professionals, and the general public.
