How Do Spouses Experience Living Alone After Their Partner With Dementia Moves Into a Care Home?

Abstract

Aims: This systematic review aims to explore spouses' lives after their partner with dementia moves to a care home facility. It will review existing peer-reviewed papers written between 2002 and 2022 from English-speaking parts of the world. It will investigate what is already established and underline where there are information gaps. Background: According to statistics, approximately 311,730 people with dementia currently reside in a care home. Many of these people will have a living spouse who will have to acclimatise to living alone and may experience anxiety and distress after this change. Design: A systematic search found that all the research papers met pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were published between 2002 and 2022. Papers were identified and reviewed using the Critical Appraisal and Skills Programme (CASP) to evaluate the papers. Method: Databases searched included APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE Complete, Complementary Index, CINAHL Complete and Academic Search Ultimate Directory of Open Access. In total, 1390 papers were found; eight papers were identified; five were qualitative, and three were quantitative and analysed thematically. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was used to support the presentation of this systematic review. Results: Detailed thematic analysis of the eight research studies included in this review identified three broad themes: (a) loss of a shared life, (b) visiting their partner in a care home and (c) grief, depression and ‘unable to move on’. These aspects have been shown to adversely impact the physical and mental health of the community-dwelling spouse, which increases their exposure to depression. Conclusions: The selected papers showed persuasive evidence of the state of the community-dwelling spouse's social, mental and physical health, which became a barrier to them moving forward with their lives. The needs of the community-dwelling spouse have been under-researched once their partner with dementia enters a care home. Further research is needed to understand how and when interventions should be offered to this group of people and which interventions might be most effective. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This research will help to disseminate clinical knowledge to nursing and other professionals, who will be able to appreciate the effect of moving a lifelong partner with dementia into a care home and be able to appreciate the uncertainties the community-dwelling spouse feels at this time. With this information, they could identify spouses who are more vulnerable to the risk of not managing this phase of their lives and suggest appropriate support networks. Trial Registration: This Systematic Review is registered in PROSPERO: 309784