LIVING ALONE WITH DEMENTIA - Challenges, Support, and Paths Forward - Symposium Session

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

The symposium explores the lived experiences of people living alone with dementia in the community, emphasizing unmet needs, well-being, and daily challenges. Scholars from the United States and the United Kingdom present evidence on loneliness and survey-based rates, barriers to medication adherence, financial strain, reliance on emergency services, and fear of institutionalization. Data from Older Americans Act clients and a scoping review of 150+ studies highlight gaps in targeted support and recommend policy, practice, service responsiveness, and community support improvements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Symposium Overview

Evidence on Loneliness and Community Experiences

Barriers: Medication, Finances, and Emergency Services

Targeted Support Gaps and Recommendations

262 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 SESSION 2335 (SYMPOSIUM) Abstract citation ID: igaf122.880 LIVING ALONE WITH DEMENTIA: CHALLENGES, SUPPORT, AND PATHS FORWARD Chair: Heather Menne Discussant: Michael Lepore Whether due to choice or circumstance, across the globe there are significant numbers of people living alone with dementia in the community. This symposium brings together scholars from the United States and the United Kingdom to explore the experiences of people living alone with dementia, highlighting their unmet needs, well-being, and daily challenges, while emphasizing the need for improved support, policy changes, and community responsiveness. Dr. Kate Singer highlights the increasing number of people living alone with dementia as represented in national surveys, and she presents the rates of people living alone with dementia who report feeling lonely every day or even most days of the week. Dr. Allison Gibson presents on the experiences of individuals living alone with dementia, underscoring their challenges with medication adherence, finances, emergency services, and fear of institutionalization, while also examining their social support, healthcare use, and interest in additional assistance to age in place. Mr. Matt Nelson outlines data from Older Americans Act (OAA) clients who are living alone with dementia, and he shares respondents’ assessments of whether the OAA service helps them remain independent and at home. Dr. Linda Clare Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 263 presents a scoping review of 150+ unique studies about people living alone with dementia; her results reveal significant unmet needs, social differences, and a lack of targeted support, while recommending policy and practice improvements in service responsiveness, community support, and research inclusivity. To conclude, Dr. Michael Lepore, who has supported policies, programs, and research on people living alone with dementia, offers discussion comments. Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Interest Group Sponsored Symposium

FAQs

Why focus on people living alone with dementia in the community?

The symposium notes significant numbers of people living alone with dementia and examines their unmet needs, well-being, and daily challenges in everyday community life.

What key challenges are highlighted for those living alone with dementia?

Presentations cover medication adherence difficulties, financial concerns, emergency services use, loneliness, and fear of institutionalization.

What solutions and recommendations are proposed?

Speakers call for improved support, policy changes, enhanced community responsiveness, and better service delivery to help people age in place.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob