BMC Geriatrics called for submissions to our Collection on Living at home with dementia.
The World Health Organisation states that more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases reported every year. Whilst dementia can occur in younger populations, it is more commonly associated with older people, but it is not an inherent consequence of aging. It remains one of the major causes of disability and dependency amongst older people.
Living at home is often the preferred choice for people diagnosed with dementia and their family members. As the disease progresses, the cognitive, behavioural, and psychological functioning of people living with dementia will gradually decline. This can impact their ability to care for themselves, and to stay safe at home. Consequently, more support is needed from family, friends, and/or care providers to support the person to remain living at home. However, the symptoms of dementia, such as wandering and agitation, can result in a high level of stress among paid and unpaid caregivers. Breakdowns in care often result in a move to a more costly residential care or nursing home facility.
This collection aimed to identify mechanisms of support for people with dementia to remain living in their own homes. We were interested in evidence pertaining to a wide variety of aspects, with key topics including, but not limited to:
Physical factors, such as solutions to prevent malnutrition, incontinence, difficulties sleeping and increased risk of falls.
Psychological factors, such as solutions to target agitation, depression, social isolation, loss of independence, behavioural changes, and caregiver's burden.
Social and economic factors, such as interventions to increase social participation and activities, support for paid and unpaid caregivers, evidence for cost effectiveness of supporting people with dementia to live at home, and government policy or legislation on supporting people living at home with dementia.
We also welcome research that addresses the question ‘Why is living at home the preferred choice for people living with dementia and their family members?’
To explore these topics, this collection welcomes a wide variety of study types including clinical research, epidemiological studies, intervention and implementation research, systematic reviews of the current evidence base, and qualitative studies.
Dementia has been recognised as a public health priority. It is imperative that we advance our knowledge of the issue and key mechanisms of support for people living with dementia and those around them.
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