Prevalence and Type of Unmet Needs Experienced by People Living with Dementia.

J Alzheimers Dis

Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

Published: May 2022

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study aimed to create a tool, the Unmet Needs Instrument for Dementia (UNI-D), to identify and understand the unmet needs of people with dementia living at home in the community.
  • - Researchers conducted a survey in Australia, collecting data from 95 participants and finding that 85% reported at least one unmet need, with key issues being memory assistance and social connections.
  • - The UNI-D showed good reliability and validity, indicating it could be an effective way to inform support services and interventions aimed at addressing the identified needs of individuals with dementia.

Article Abstract

Background: Accurately identifying the unmet needs of community-dwelling people with dementia allows targeted support to be provided to assist these individuals to stay at home.

Objective: We developed a self-report instrument to identify the unmet needs of community-dwelling people with dementia and used this to explore the prevalence and type of unmet needs present in this population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of people with dementia living in the community in Australia. Participants were recruited from geriatric clinics, respite centers, aged care providers, and carers attending support groups. Eligible people with dementia were provided with a study information pack and survey which included the self-report Unmet Needs Instrument for Dementia (UNI-D), sociodemographic characteristics and survey acceptability.

Results: The UNI-D contained 26 items across 5 domains and demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, face and construct validity, and acceptability. Ninety-five eligible participants completed the survey (response rate 35%) with 85% identifying at least one unmet need (median = 4; IQR = 1-9). The items most frequently endorsed included needing more help with remembering things (64%), finding possible treatments for dementia (44%), understanding who to contact regarding a problem or concern related to dementia (36%), and to see friends and family more often (33%).

Conclusion: The UNI-D is a promising tool to identify the self-reported needs of people with dementia. The development and rigorous testing of interventions targeting unmet needs related to health and wellbeing, dementia support, and meaningful activities appears warranted.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-215183DOI Listing

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