eprintid: 10205420
rev_number: 9
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/20/54/20
datestamp: 2025-02-28 10:54:03
lastmod: 2025-02-28 10:54:03
status_changed: 2025-02-28 10:54:03
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Sommerlad, Andrew
creators_name: Polack, Sarah
creators_name: Bell, Georgia
creators_name: Silarova, Barbora
creators_name: Hebditch, Molly
creators_name: Tingle, Alison
creators_name: Portacolone, Elena
creators_name: Sykes, Kath
creators_name: Tabet, Naji
title: Non-Pharmacological Interventions for People With Dementia Who Live Alone: A Systematic Review
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C07
divisions: D79
divisions: FH5
keywords: Dementia; interventions; living alone
note: Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
abstract: Objectives:
Approximately one third of people with dementia live on their own and they face an increased risk of unmet needs and loneliness. This systematic review aimed to identify and describe non-pharmacological interventions that have been evaluated for people with dementia living alone and to examine the effectiveness of these interventions.
//
Methods:
Following PRISMA guidelines, six databases were systematically searched: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Care online, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Studies that reported on the impact or experience of an intervention for people with dementia living alone in the community (not long-term care) and that had been published since 2000 were included in the review. No restrictions were applied in terms of study design or outcome measures. Study risk of bias was assessed, and a narrative approach was used to synthesize findings.
//
Results:
Thirteen studies of 13 different interventions were included, grouped into five intervention categories: home-based dementia case/care management (n = 4), technology (n = 3), social (n = 3), cognitive (n = 2) and psychological (n = 1). There was one randomized controlled trial (RCT), and two economic evaluations that used data from RCTs. Most other studies were small-scale, and only two were evaluated to have low risk of bias. Most studies reported positive or mixed findings in terms of the intervention's impact on the person with dementia or aspects of feasibility. However, studies were heterogeneous in terms of intervention, study design, and outcomes.
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Conclusions:
This review of a limited body of research highlights the potential for interventions to support people with dementia who live alone. It also identifies key evidence gaps and the need for more robust and comparable research to better understand what works, why, for who, and how. Involving people with dementia who live alone in the design, implementation, and evaluation of these interventions will be crucial to ensure that their needs and preferences are met.
date: 2025-03
date_type: published
official_url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.70059
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2364989
doi: 10.1002/gps.70059
lyricists_name: Sommerlad, Andrew
lyricists_id: ATSOM33
actors_name: Sommerlad, Andrew
actors_id: ATSOM33
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
volume: 40
number: 3
article_number: e70059
issn: 0885-6230
citation:        Sommerlad, Andrew;    Polack, Sarah;    Bell, Georgia;    Silarova, Barbora;    Hebditch, Molly;    Tingle, Alison;    Portacolone, Elena;         ... Tabet, Naji; + view all <#>        Sommerlad, Andrew;  Polack, Sarah;  Bell, Georgia;  Silarova, Barbora;  Hebditch, Molly;  Tingle, Alison;  Portacolone, Elena;  Sykes, Kath;  Tabet, Naji;   - view fewer <#>    (2025)    Non-Pharmacological Interventions for People With Dementia Who Live Alone: A Systematic Review.                   International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry , 40  (3)    , Article e70059.  10.1002/gps.70059 <https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.70059>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10205420/1/Int%20J%20Geriat%20Psychiatry%20-%202025%20-%20Polack.pdf