{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:35:49Z","timestamp":1792787749922,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776470400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776470400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"NIHR ARC North Thames"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Dementia"],"abstract":"<jats:p>People with dementia can live alone successfully even when they do not have support from family or friends. This requires professionals to be able to provide timely and effective support. This study aims to identify professional perspectives on the challenges and strategies in supporting people with dementia who live alone and have no informal support. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-two professionals working in dementia-related roles across various sectors in England. Interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Themes were finalised through support of the study advisory team, including people with lived experience of dementia. Six themes were identified, reflecting stages of the \u2018dementia care pathway\u2019, from identification of patients to discharge. Professionals reported experiencing barriers around identifying clients, communicating with them, gathering information, engaging with them, managing risks, and setting up continuity of care. They shared strategies for each of these challenges. This study identified some key strategies that a variety of professionals can deploy to promote access and use of services for an especially vulnerable population to be able to live independently for as long as possible. These strategies would need to be embedded and consistently implemented across different sectors. This would ensure that people are identified and supported in a timely fashion and could, in turn, prevent more costly long-term care and contribute to cost-containment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/14713012261446004","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T15:38:31Z","timestamp":1776526711000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Professional Perspectives on Supporting People With Dementia Who Live Alone and Have No Informal Support: A Qualitative Study"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8953-0117","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudio","family":"Di Lorito","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University College London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fiona","family":"Aspinal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University College London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/07334648211001190"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1471301219838086"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31389\/jltc.194"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/2159676X.2019.1704846"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_1","first-page":"19","volume-title":"Supporting research in counselling and psychotherapy: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research","author":"Braun V.","year":"2023","unstructured":"Braun V., Clarke V., Hayfield N., Davey L., Jenkinson E. (2023). Doing reflexive thematic analysis. In Bager-Charleson S., McBeath A. (Eds.), Supporting research in counselling and psychotherapy: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research (pp. 19\u201338). Springer."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_7_1","unstructured":"Clare L. Martyr A. Gamble L. Caulfield M. Charlwood C. Ward J. Hulme C. Prina M. Oyebode J. (2025). Living alone with dementia: A neglected inequality. DeNPRU Exeter report 2025 (Version 1). University of Exeter. https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10871\/140650"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1471301221990504"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_9_1","volume-title":"Carers call for evidence","author":"Department of Health and Social Care","year":"2016","unstructured":"Department of Health and Social Care. (2016). Carers call for evidence. Government response. https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/713695\/response-to-carers-call-for-evidence.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0317749"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1471301211420331"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0144686X20000513"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07399332.2021.1876064"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14713012251320251"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/11038128.2025.2463374"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjspcare-2020-002242"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnaf111"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10198-017-0869-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0144686X20000938"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nair P. Junghans C. Kay M. Harris M. Majeed A. Hayhoe B. (2025). Transforming dementia care pathway: Why shifting to a universal comprehensive proactive local and integrated model is imperative to improve outcomes. Frontiers in Dementia 4 Article 1719630. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frdem.2025.1719630","DOI":"10.3389\/frdem.2025.1719630"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_21_1","volume-title":"Dementia: Assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their caregivers","author":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence","year":"2018","unstructured":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Dementia: Assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their caregivers. NICE."},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_6_22_1","first-page":"53","article-title":"Living alone with dementia: Innovative support programs","volume":"2","author":"Newhouse B. J.","year":"2001","unstructured":"Newhouse B. J., Niebuhr L., Stroud T., Newhouse E. (2001). Living alone with dementia: Innovative support programs. Alzheimer's Care Today, 2(2), 53\u201361.","journal-title":"Alzheimer's Care Today"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ACM.0000000000000388"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Power M. C. Willens V. Prather C. Moghtaderi A. Chen Y. Gianattasio K. Z. Grodstein F. Raj C. S. James B. D. (2023). Risks and benefits of clinical diagnosis around the time of dementia onset. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 9 Article 23337214231213185. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/23337214231213185","DOI":"10.1177\/23337214231213185"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_25_1","volume-title":"Support. Stay. Save: Care and support of people with dementia in their own homes","author":"Quince C.","year":"2011","unstructured":"Quince C. (2011). Support. Stay. Save: Care and support of people with dementia in their own homes. Alzheimer\u2019s Society."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/geroni\/igab004"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1041610213000306"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_6_28_1","first-page":"342","article-title":"Dementia care pathways: A comprehensive scoping review and insights from key informant interviews","volume":"25","author":"Saragosa M.","year":"2025","unstructured":"Saragosa M., MacEachern E., Nelson M. (2025). Dementia care pathways: A comprehensive scoping review and insights from key informant interviews. International Journal of Integrated Care, 25(S1), 342. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5334\/ijic.ICIC24342","journal-title":"International Journal of Integrated Care"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afaf120"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_30_1","unstructured":"The King\u2019s Fund (2025). 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