34 % of adults in the United Kingdom fear getting dementia, a neurological disorder that included loss of memory and speech, later in life, according to a study done by The Live-in Homecare Information Hub. However, 52% of adults are more comfortable talking to others around them about their fear and how to manage it. Dementia has become commonplace disorder for the elderly, with one well-known form being Alzheimer’s.

According to findings done by the organization No Place Like Home, loneliness can be a significant contributing factor for people developing Alzheimer’s with those who reported being lonely developing a high incidences of the disease up to twice those who do not consider themselves lonely. In the UK, the total number of people with dementia has been predicted to rise to 940,110 by 2021 and 1,735,087 by 2051 – an increase of 38% over the next 15 years. This also indicates that by the year 2037, the number of caretakers – paid and unpaid – will have to rise to up to nine million (or more) to keep pace with the rising number those in need of elder care.

Due to this, more needs to be done to ensure that people dealing with this debilitating disease, as well as others dealing with similar ailments, are properly cared for. 97 % of adults report that they do not want to end up in a nursing facility given the negative reports regarding them. In addition, 78 % are worried that they would be resentful to a family member who needed additional care. 65% worried that the situation could cause ‘divide our family or cause relationship problems.’

Some proposed solutions include live-in homecare where a nurse or live-in caregiver could provide round-the-clock care for a dementia or elderly patient. Many would be specifically trained to cope with particular conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, MS or palliative care. This could reduce the risk of loneliness for the patient as well as alleviate the bed shortage that the current hospital system faces.