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Long-term conditions
Dementia

Dementia, comorbidity and multimorbidity

02 July 2024
Long-Term Conditions
02 July 2024
Volume 29 · Issue 7

Abstract

Many people living with dementia will also have multimorbidity comprising several other intercurrent, long-term and comorbid conditions. This article examines the relationship between such conditions in the context of dementia, giving an overview of the literature, including prevalence and some of the common conditions that can coexist with dementia. The theory and evidence-base will be tied together using a case study approach, to illustrate the complexity of managing comorbid conditions and multimorbidity alongside dementia, and explore some of the approaches that can be used by community nurses to support the overall health of people living with dementia that they work with.

The ageing population continues to increase, with the UK having higher than the global average of older people (Worlds Health Organization (WHO), 2022). In 2017, approximately 18% of the UK population was aged 65 years or over and projections suggest that in 50 years' time, there will be an additional 8.6 million people over 65 years old in the UK (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2018). The ageing population presents health and social care services with many challenges as this group of people are more likely to experience multiple health conditions, including dementia, and have associated complex care needs (Bao et al, 2019). This means that they will experience higher numbers of hospital admissions, increased length of stay, more complications and higher readmission rates, leading to cost burdens for the healthcare system (Glynn et al, 2011; Palladino, 2016). Similarly, individuals may be impacted by reduced quality of life, increased dependency, polypharmacy (Delgado et al, 2021) and mortality (Marengoni et al, 2011; Salive, 2013). In people living with dementia, these may be felt more acutely, as their other comorbid conditions can be poorly recognised, assessed and subsequently, poorly managed compared to those without the condition (Knight and Dening, 2017; Aldridge and Dening, 2019).

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Comorbidity
dementia
multimorbidity