Exploring the needs of people with dementia living at home reported by people with dementia and informal caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: To provide prevalence estimates of needs of people with dementia living at home, and to determine sources of variation associated with needs for this population.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed searching CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and ASSIA databases. Following quality checks, random effects meta-analysis produced prevalence estimates for needs reported by people with dementia and by their informal caregivers. Fixed effects models were undertaken to compare caregiver and person with dementia reported needs. Heterogeneity was explored through sensitivity analysis. The study protocol was registered with Prospero #CRD42017074119

Results: Six retrieved studies published between 2005 and 2017 including 1011 people with dementia and 1188 caregivers were included in the analysis. All data was collected using Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly. Prevalence estimates are provided for 24 needs reported by participants in The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Poland, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Italy and Sweden. Most prevalent needs reported by people with dementia were Memory 0.713 [95% CI 0.627, 0.791]; Food 0.706 [95% CI 0.547, 0.841]; Household activities 0.677 [95% CI 0.613, 0.738]; and Money 0.566 [95% CI 0.416, 0.711]. Caregivers reported greater prevalence than people with dementia did for 22 of 24 needs, although the priority ranking of needs was similar. Exploration of heterogeneity revealed that people with young onset dementia were the major source of variation for 24 out of 44 analyses.

Conclusion: Increased understanding of prevalence of needs of people with dementia and associated heterogeneity can assist in planning services to meet those needs.