A new international study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health has found that at least one in five people living with dementia receive no help with daily tasks.
This lack of care has continued for many years, regardless of how wealthy or developed their country is.
The results were published in the journal Nature Aging.
“This isn’t just a care issue—it’s a public health crisis,” said Dr. Xi Chen, the senior author of the study and a professor at Yale.
Without basic support, people with dementia face greater risks of depression, emergency hospital visits, early nursing home placement, and even death.
The lack of care is also putting pressure on families and health systems across the globe.
The study looked at data from more than 10,000 people aged 50 and older in the U.S., England, 18 European countries, Israel, and China.
It’s the largest international research project so far to examine how people with dementia are cared for.
The researchers used long-term health and aging surveys to gather the data, focusing on people living at home who had trouble with everyday activities like dressing, bathing, preparing meals, paying bills, or taking medication.
Across all the countries studied, around 20% of people with dementia were not getting any help with these tasks.
Surprisingly, the level of care didn’t seem to improve over time. Between 2012 and 2018, there was no sign that this care gap had narrowed, even in wealthier countries.
The study found that both formal care (from paid professionals or nursing homes) and informal care (from family or friends) were lacking. In China, nearly all people with dementia (99%) did not receive formal care.
In the U.S., about 86% lacked formal help. Even in Europe and England, where public support systems are more developed, more than 70% were without formal care. Informal care was more common but still not enough—about one in four people didn’t receive any help from family or friends.
People with lower education levels and those living alone were more likely to receive no care at all, leaving them especially vulnerable.
Today, over 55 million people around the world are living with dementia. That number is expected to more than double by 2050. In the U.S. alone, dementia care costs are expected to reach $360 billion in 2024, and nearly $1 trillion by 2050.
Dr. Chen said it’s time for major policy changes. He called for more funding for professional care and more support for family caregivers.
Without action, he warned, the burden on families and older adults will only become more serious in the coming years.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and how alcohol, coffee and tea intake influence cognitive decline.
