A dementia center planned for Peristeri, a western suburb of Athens, will provide free services to about 5,000 patients each year once it reaches full operation, according to the Greek government. The National Model Centre for Dementia (Εθνικό Πρότυπο Κέντρο για την Άνοια) will be able to serve up to 160 beneficiaries a day and is expected to begin operating in September 2027.
The project moved forward on Thursday, when a contract for the center was signed at the Maximos Mansion in Athens. The facility will occupy 724 square meters (about 7,793 square feet) of ground-floor space in a building provided by the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri.
Services are expected to include prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, cognitive stimulation, occupational therapy, and music therapy. The centre will also offer counseling for relatives and caregivers, including through telemedicine, along with training programs for health professionals, caregivers and young researchers.
€4.49 million donation will fund early operations
The project is being developed through cooperation among the Greek state, National Bank of Greece, charitable foundations involved in Initiative ’21, local government and the church. A €4.49 million ($5.05 million) donation from participating Initiative ’21 members will pay for renovations, equipment and the first two years of operations.
The main implementing body is AEMY S.A., a health-sector company supervised by the Health Ministry. Greek law was amended in September to authorize AEMY to develop and operate the centre. The law also allows services to be provided through home visits, mobile interventions, telemedicine and teleconsultation.
The centre is expected to enter an initial operating phase in September 2027 after renovation work, equipment purchases and staff training. A pilot period is due to follow, with regular operations planned for spring 2028.
New centre in Athens aims to set national standards for dementia care
The centre is also intended to develop quality standards and evaluation methods for dementia services across Greece. Initiative ’21 first presented plans for the project in October 2025, describing a facility that would combine care with research, education and public awareness.
Government figures released with the signing said about 214,000 people in Greece are living with dementia. The country already has 33 dementia day-care centres, seven day-care centres with mobile units and five stand-alone mobile units, while 19 additional centres have been announced and are being developed.
The Peristeri facility is therefore not Athens’ first dementia service. Its planned role is broader, with the government presenting it as a national model for care and training.
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