PATIENT AND FAMILY PERSPECTIVES Dementia and loneliness: an Australian perspective Wendy Moyle, Ursula Kellett, Alison Ballantyne and Natalie Gracia Aim. To explore the perceptions of loneliness according to people with early-stage dementia, living in community and long- term care and also the views of their family carers. Background. Research that specifically explores the influence of loneliness on dementia is limited and indicates the prevalence of loneliness and the negative relationship between loneliness and cognitive decline. There is a paucity of research that explores loneliness from the perspective of the person with dementia. Design. A descriptive exploratory qualitative approach was used. Methods. Data were collected through semi-structured audio-taped interviews. A purposive sample of 70 people with a diagnosis or probable dementia and 73 family carers were recruited from community and long-term care from South East Queensland, Australia. Results. Four themes were identified: staying connected to others; losing the ability to socially engage; experiencing loneliness; and overcoming loneliness. The results emphasise the importance of familiar human relationships in reducing the feelings of loneliness in people experiencing dementia. Conclusions. People with dementia are at risk of loneliness, but placing them with unfamiliar people and environments may not improve their situation. Relevance to clinical practice. Better refinement of care that takes into account the potential for loneliness and an understanding of premorbid social tendency may assist in the implementation of individualised and evidence-based strategies to assist people with dementia to lead a better quality of life. To maintain well-being, the social needs of the person with dementia as well as the family need to be considered. Key words: dementia, family, older people, qualitative research, relationships Accepted for publication: 17 August 2010 Introduction The world population is ageing and alongside this there is expected to be an increase in chronic disease such as dementia. In Australia, this increase in people with dementia is predicted to rise between 2008–2050 from 227,300– 731,000, an increase of 327% (Access Economics 2006, 2009). Approximately, 50,000 people with dementia live in the Australian community (Access Economics 2009). How- ever, because of the insidious nature of the disease, the majority of people with dementia end their lives in long- term care (LTC). There are currently more than 90,000 people living with dementia in LTC in Australia and about one in fifteen people over the age of 65 has moderate to severe dementia (Access Economics 2009). The general progressive decline in mental functioning that occurs with dementia has a significant impact on social interactions and relationships, leaving the person with Authors: Wendy Moyle, PhD, MHSc, BN, Dip App Sci, RN, Professor and Director, Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University; Ursula Kellett, PhD, MN, B Soc, RN, Senior Lecturer, Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University; Alison Ballantyne, MEd Admin, BEd, Gero Nrs Cert, RN, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of South Australia, Adelaide; Natalie Gracia, B Psy, B BehSc/BCCJ, Research Assistant, Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Correspondence: Wendy Moyle, Professor and Director, Research Centre for Clinical and Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Qld 4111, Australia. Telephone: +61 7 3735 5526. E-mail: w.moyle@griffith.edu.au Ó 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, 1445–1453 1445 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03549.x