Perceived Unmet Need and Need-Related Distress of People Living With Dementia

The unmet needs of people living with dementia have been shown to be multidimensional and impact well-being. However, there are a lack of studies examining variability of unmet needs and need-related distress from the person living with dementia’s perspective. The current study ( n = 12) examined the self-reported unmet needs and need-related distress of people with mild to moderate dementia. Seventy-five percent of participants ( n = 9) identified at least one unmet need and 50% ( n = 6) reported 10 or more unmet needs. “Finding and Arranging Services” and “Health Information” subscales had the highest reported average unmet needs. The most frequently reported unmet need-item was “ getting information about your memory problems?” Participants reported variability in distress for both unmet and met needs. Continued research can provide beneficial information on the relationship between unmet needs, need-related distress, and outcomes of well-being for future interventions.