This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/jonm.13267 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved Title: A qualitative study of family members experiences of their loved one developing dementia and their subsequent placement in a nursing home Running title: Family members experiences with a dementia diagnosis Authors: Zvonka Fekonja RN, MSc (PhD Student, Teaching assistant) a ; Sergej Kmetec RN, MSc (PhD Student, Teaching assistant) a ; Barbara Novak RN b ; Brendan McCormack D.Phil (Oxon.), PGCEA, RGN, RMN, FRCN, FEANS (Professor) c, ; Nataša Mlinar Reljić RN, BSc, MSc (PhD Student, Sr Lect) a Author’s affiliations: a University of Maribor Faculty of Health Science, Maribor, SI b General Hospital Celje, Celje, SI c Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Division of Nursing, Edinburgh, UK Corresponding author: Sergej Kmetec University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences Žitna ulica 15 2000 Maribor (Slovenia) Tel: +386 2 3004751 Email: sergej.kmetec1@um.si E-mail addresses: zvonka.fekonja@um.si (Fekonja Zvonka); sergej.kmetec1@um.si (Sergej Kmetec); barbara.novak5@student.um.si (Barbara Novak); BMcCormack@qmu.ac.uk (Brendan McCormack); natasa.mlinar@um.si (Nataša Mlinar Reljić). ORCID iD: Zvonka Fekonja https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4224-8843 Sergej Kmetec https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5601-0940 Brendan McCormack https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8525-8905 Nataša Mlinar Reljić https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1148-0831 Accepted Article