REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, UK.
Personal Social Services Research Unit>, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;78(3):1207-1216. doi: 10.3233/JAD-200638.
A significant proportion of people with dementia live alone, but little is known about their specific needs.
To understand the profile of people living alone with mild-to-moderate dementia in the UK and identify any systematic differences associated with living situation.
We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1,541 people with mild-to-moderate dementia and 1,277 caregivers participating in the IDEAL cohort at the first wave of assessment.
There were 1,256 (81.5%) people with dementia living with others and 285 (18.5%) living alone, of whom 51 (3% of whole sample) reported little or no informal support. There were relatively few differences associated with living situation and odds ratios were generally small. People living alone were older on average, and more likely to be female, than those living with others. Those living alone were more likely to have higher cognitive ability and self-reported functional ability, and more social contact with those from other households. They were also lonelier, expressed less satisfaction with life, and used home care services and equipment more. There were no differences in symptoms, mood, quality of life, or well-being.
The findings support the view that it is possible to 'live well' with mild-to-moderate dementia while living alone, given appropriate support, including home care and equipment. Nevertheless, it is important to consider how those living alone may be supported to have a more satisfactory experience, and how health and social care services can best respond to their needs.
相当一部分痴呆症患者独居，但人们对他们的具体需求知之甚少。
了解英国轻度至中度痴呆症独居者的特征，并确定与居住情况相关的任何系统性差异。
我们分析了 IDEAL 队列在第一次评估时参与的 1541 名轻度至中度痴呆症患者和 1277 名护理人员的横断面数据。
共有 1256 名（81.5%）痴呆症患者与他人同住，285 名（18.5%）独居，其中 51 名（占总样本的 3%）报告几乎没有或没有非正式支持。与居住情况相关的差异相对较少，优势比通常较小。独居者的平均年龄较大，且女性多于与他人同住者。独居者的认知能力和自我报告的功能能力较高，与其他家庭的社交接触较多。他们也比较孤独，对生活的满意度较低，更多地使用家庭护理服务和设备。在症状、情绪、生活质量或幸福感方面没有差异。
这些发现支持这样一种观点，即只要提供适当的支持，包括家庭护理和设备，轻度至中度痴呆症患者独居也可以“生活得很好”。然而，重要的是要考虑如何为独居者提供更满意的体验，以及卫生和社会保健服务如何最好地满足他们的需求。
