Mid Sweden University

Title: People Living Alone with Dementia in Sweden – Who Are They? A Register Study Between 2011-2018. Background: People living alone with dementia, a group with unique needs and a high reliance on formal care, is increasing globally. Given demographic changes in Sweden, the profile of people living alone with dementia may have changed over time. Aim: To investigate demographics, healthcare utilization and support from home care services of people living alone with dementia in Sweden and to assess changes over time. Method: A repeated cross-sectional study (2011-2018 ), with demographic data from the longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA), care services and social services for the elderly and persons with impairments (SOL), and in- and outpatient care from the patient register (PAR). Bivariate- and regression analysis were used to analyse difference between groups and changes over time. Results: People living alone with dementia increased over the period but their proportion of the total population with dementia remained consistent. Women living alone with dementia represented a larger proportion of the population (67%), but this decreased over time. People living alone with dementia had a high utilization of home care services (> 30 hours per month) and a low level of specialized care utilization and the levels remained consistent. Conclusion: The population of people living alone with dementia in Sweden has increased, while the utilization of care remained consistent over time. The increasing number of people living alone with dementia may result in increased future spendings on care and support. Given the limited proportion of people living alone with dementia studied, the results must be interpreted with caution.