Transforming dementia care pathway: why shifting to a universal, comprehensive, proactive, local, and integrated model is imperative to improve outcomes
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Dementia care in the United Kingdom (UK) faces vast and complex systemic challenges, impacting not only individuals with dementia but also their families, communities, and the broader healthcare system. We outline these challenges and advocate for a transformative shift towards proactive and integrated community-anchored models of care. We highlight the UK-based Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWW) model, which already delivers universal, holistic household-level support and is uniquely positioned within the communities to address dementia care gaps. Building on this foundation, we introduce ComPROACT, a CHWW-led outreach approach targeting cognitive decline and dementia across the care continuum. This initiative integrates both pre- and post-diagnostic dementia care support, particularly in underserved communities, not by creating new parallel services but by reimagining existing neighbourhood-based roles. Empowering CHWWs to be dementia-capable offers a sustainable pathway to better bridge the systemic gap between primary care, community, and dementia services.
Date Issued
2026-01-12
Date Acceptance
2025-12-08
Citation
Frontiers in Dementia, 2026, 4
ISSN
2813-3919
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Dementia
Volume
4
Copyright Statement
© 2026 Nair, Junghans, Kay, Harris, Majeed and Hayhoe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41602220
Subjects
ComPROACT
community health and wellbeing workers
community-based care
dementia
health system transformation
mild cognitive impairment
primary care
underserved communities
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
1719630
Date Publish Online
2026-01-12