Purpose: People with dementia can and do live successfully on their own, but there are additional challenges for people living alone without informal support. This paper reports findings of the first study in the UK to examine needs and experiences of, and services for, people with dementia who live alone without informal support. Method: The study involved a service audit of 13 local authority commissioners in two English regions, interviews with 22 people with dementia who live alone without informal carers, and case studies of four services supporting this group. Findings: Awareness of this population among commissioners was limited. There were very few services which explicitly supported this group, and some mainstream services excluded people without carers. None of the local authorities collected data on numbers of people with dementia living alone, or those without informal support, in their area. Some participants with dementia had contacted social care, but this had not always resulted in appropriate support, and people reported problematic interactions with staff, assumptions that friends would provide care, and support not being available at the right time. Self-funders were left with little support. People with dementia were resourceful, using general services, technology, and other tactics, including cleaners, meal delivery, community taxis, and automatic reminders to organise their lives. However, as many of these additional services have a cost attached, there is potential to exacerbate existing inequalities. Participants wanted more support, particularly with finances and administrative tasks. Services can help this group with supported handovers, allowing self-referral back into a service, and keeping case files open. Conclusions: Both the number of people with dementia, and the number of people ageing without children, are rising, and it will therefore become increasingly important to facilitate effective support for people with dementia to live independently without informal support.
The aim of this study was to gain insight into young dementia carer-specific content provided on the websites of dementia and (young) carers organizations in seven European countries including: the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Sweden. Research questions were: 1). What types of young dementia carer-specific content are available on national websites of dementia and (young) carers organizations across Europe? and 2). How does the content address the complex impact that dementia can have on young dementia carers? The identification of websites was informed by the contextual characteristics of each country in relation to dementia and young carers support and services. A standard protocol describing the website inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction and content analysis using a categorical coding framework was followed. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize data within and across countries. A total of 312 organizations with active websites meeting the eligibility criteria across countries were identified, and their websites reviewed. Content relevant to young dementia carers was identified in 28% (n = 86) of the websites, with uneven availability of resources across Europe and very limited resources in some countries. Most contents addressed five categories: Diagnosis & symptoms, Uncertainty & family distress, Changes in roles, Stigma & isolation and Identifying need for support. A lack of tailored resources to support young dementia carers was identified, particularly in relation to two categories: Grief & loss and Education & life planning. Only a minority of websites included young dementia carer-specific content. These websites primarily focused on general support needs and explanations of dementia, while key areas such as guidance on school, career, and life planning remain underdeveloped. There is a need for greater recognition of young dementia carers, clearer terminology, and more developmentally appropriate and practically oriented resources to strengthen online support for these carers across Europe.
Objective Spirituality is a core component of person-centred dementia care, yet spiritual needs may be under-recognised as cognition and communication decline. Spiritual Reminiscence Therapy (SRT) is a structured intervention that emphasises meaning-making and existential reflection rather than autobiographical recall alone. We examined the clinical outcomes and implementation characteristics of SRT in older adults with dementia. Methods A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and reported in accordance with PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Electronic databases (Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and PsycINFO) were searched from inception to 26 December 2025, supplemented by grey literature and reference screening. Eligible English-language quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating SRT in adults aged ≥65 years with dementia were included. Data were synthesised descriptively. Results Four studies met inclusion criteria (2 qualitative, 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 prospective cohort study). SRT was associated with improvements in spiritual well-being, life meaning and hope. Psychological outcomes suggested increased life satisfaction and reduced depressive symptoms. Qualitative findings indicated enhanced social connectedness in residential care settings. Evidence for cognitive benefit was inconsistent and clinically modest, and functional outcomes were rarely assessed. Reporting of intervention delivery and implementation processes was variable. Conclusions SRT may improve meaning-related and depressive symptoms in persons with dementia, however extant evidence is limited and methodologically heterogenous. Future research prioritizing standardised outcomes, longer follow-up and formal implementation evaluation are needed before broader integration into routine psychogeriatric practice.
This study aimed to assess the recorded prevalence of a dementia diagnosis and the receipt of appropriate dementia care among current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients of Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) aged 45 and over, as documented in medical records. ACCHSs are Australian primary healthcare organisations that are initiated, governed and operated by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A manual audit of medical records was undertaken by a staff member from each participating ACCHS to identify current clients with a documented diagnosis of dementia and examine their receipt of key elements of dementia-related care. Across 9 ACCHSs located in New South Wales, a total of 70 clients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia were identified (1.2% recorded prevalence rate). The majority of clients with a dementia diagnosis had documented receipt of elements of appropriate dementia care including an active chronic disease management plan (61%), annual health assessment (56%), referral to aged care services (69%), and assessment of one or more dementia-related risks (94%). However, less than half of clients had a documented cognitive assessment within the last 12 months (41%) or completed any advance planning documentation (37%). Clients with a dementia diagnosis received a mean of 3.6 out of 6 assessed elements of best practice dementia care. As with primary care nationally and internationally, ACCHSs require co-designed support strategies to enhance their processes for dementia diagnosis and documentation and to build upon their delivery of best-practice dementia care. Priority dementia care areas for older clients with a confirmed dementia diagnosis include the evaluation of dementia-related risks such as elder abuse and driving safety, and the implementation of advance care planning including discussion or completion of relevant legal documents. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( https://anzctr.org.au/ ): Registration Number: 12621000905864.
Dementia prevention is receiving increasing attention considering the surge in number of dementia incidence worldwide. Although there are modifiable risk factors, the public remains largely unaware of dementia prevention. Many individuals turn to online platforms such as YouTube for health-related information, where content can shape beliefs, attitudes, and decision-making. However, little is known about how people interpret and discuss dementia prevention in these digital spaces. This study aimed to explore how dementia prevention is perceived by the public, as reflected in user generated comments posted on YouTube videos related to dementia prevention. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted by examining comments from YouTube videos identified through Google Advanced Search. Twenty-six videos were selected based on predefined criteria, and comments were extracted and cleaned prior to analysis. Engagement metrics, including views, likes, and replies, were also examined to understand how users interacted with the content. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic approach. A total of 7314 comments were retrieved from 26 videos. Following data cleaning and removal of ineligible comments, 2034 comments were included for final analysis. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: (i) fear and perceived vulnerability to dementia; (ii) perceptions of dementia risk factors; and (iii) trust and credibility of dementia prevention information. These themes revealed fear, modifiable vs non-modifiable risk factors, and both public reliance on and distrust of scientific evidence. YouTube provides an important platform for public discussion about dementia prevention. Although it offers opportunities to increase awareness, viewer comments reflected inconsistent understandings and conflicting beliefs about dementia prevention, highlighting the need for clear, evidence-based communication to improve public understanding.
