Forgotten Front: A Scoping Review of Veterans’ Experiences of Dementia
Authors: Dew, R., Dowding, A., Aldridge, H., Lucas, E., Tweedy, V., Board, M.
Conference: 37th Global Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International (Lyon, France)
Publication Date: 14/04/2026
Abstract:Background: Veterans living with dementia can face distinct challenges related to their military service and may experience increased exposure to risk factors for dementia as a result of their military service. Despite this, there is scarce literature on the experiences of veterans living with dementia. This scoping review aims to systematically review existing literature and identify potential knowledge gaps relating specifically to veterans experiences. Aim: To explore what is known about the experiences of veterans with dementia and support or services available to them.
Methods: This review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Eight databases were searched including MEDLINE, APA PsychInfo, CINAHL, SocINDEX, Education Source, Communication Source, APA PsychArticles, and ERIC to identify relevant articles. Articles were included if they focused on military veterans with a dementia diagnosis and on their experiences including access to care/support, quality of life and availability or accessibility to support.
Results: 21 articles were included in this review; 19 articles originated from US and 2 from Canada. Most articles used a predominantly quantitative approach to explore themes such as healthcare utilisation, social determinants and care trajectories.
Conclusion: An American-centric focus of literature has been identified, which highlights a gap in literature exploring experiences of veterans within other cultural contexts. At the conference we will share the emerging themes and implications for health and social care services supporting veterans.
Source: Manual