Providing Services to Individuals with Dementia Who Live Alone: A Guide of Practical Strategies

Like other older adults who live alone, many people with Alzheimer’s

disease and related dementias (ADRD) want to remain independent and

prefer living alone.1,2 National and regional data indicate that a significant number of people with dementia live alone; according to a recent analysis of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), more than 30% of people with dementia lived alone in 2011.3 However, ADRD will eventually lead to changes in an individual’s ability to plan, organize, and follow through with daily activities and personal care needs. If there is no one else living in the home who can observe changes in the individual’s cognitive and functional abilities, the progressive decline associated with ADRD may go unnoticed until an emergency occurs.4

Early intervention in an individual’s life requires recognizing signs of

dementia and getting the person the supports they need. It is challenging to identify people with dementia who live alone and provide them with services, and research from several countries indicates that this population underuses needed services.5,6,7 Challenges associated with providing essential services for people with dementia who live alone include the limited availability of services designed to support this population, the diversity of this population’s needs, and the coordination of the multiple agencies that are necessary to meet their needs.

It is important to note that people with dementia who live alone may have varying degrees of support. Such support scenarios include the following:8

• An individual lives alone with frequent support, visits, and monitoring

from relatives and friends living nearby who are looking out for the

individual’s best interest.

• An individual lives alone with some support or check-in calls from long-

distance relatives and friends who are looking out for the individual’s

best interest.

• An individual lives alone with no support and has no one dedicated to

looking out for the individual’s best interest.

Determining the scenario that is most relevant to the individual will enable providers to determine the individual’s level of risk, and develop care plans and provide services that are most relevant to the individual.