Abstract
People with dementia experience changes in behaviour, independence and memory that impacts their own lives and the lives of the people who care for them. We study how living with dementia affects daily life and well-being after dementia diagnosis. In total, 141 people with dementia participated in the study. Study participants and their carers answered questions about daily activities, mental health, and cognitive abilities every 3 months. We found that behavioural changes and challenges in daily tasks for people with dementia are affected as memory and thinking skills decline. Carers of people with mild symptoms of dementia reported higher levels of stress, while people with more severe symptoms relied more on community services with a lower number of hospital visits. These findings offer insights to improve dementia care and support services.
Walsh et al. examine how dementia impacts daily life and well-being over three years by tracking changes in behaviour, memory, and daily activities, for people with dementia and their carers. They find that as cognitive decline progresses, daily challenges increase, affecting carer stress and the use of community services.