SynthesisThe Gerontologist2026
Mind the gap: a systematic review of barriers, facilitators, and experiences of care transitions for people living with dementia and their informal caregivers.
Synthesis in The Gerontologist, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Beyond the Hospital Residential Aged Care Home Referral: A Critical Realist Exploration of Residential Aged Care Admission Practices Directly From Hospital.Australasian journal on ageing · 2026Article
- From Sensory Deprivation to Psychosis: Environmental Mechanisms of Delirium in Dementia-An Eight-Year Retrospective Longitudinal Case Report and Narrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Individual Matching Support in Community Dementia Care: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Team Orange in Sapporo City.Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society · 2026Article
- Coordination of hospital discharge for older people with dementia: insights from politicians and local government officials.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- When Care Depends on the Caregiver: Lived Experiences of Latino Families Navigating Dementia Care Pathways.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Facilitators and barriers to early-stage dementia care: a qualitative study on the perspectives of people with dementia, informal caregivers, and healthcare professionals.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesCare transitions for people living with dementia are critical periods requiring coordinated, person-centered support. Effective transitions can reduce caregiver burden, prevent adverse outcomes, and improve care quality. However, the barriers, facilitators, and lived experiences during transitions remain poorly understood. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on these factors from the perspectives of people with dementia and their informal caregivers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsA comprehensive search across MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and Web of Science identified 67 eligible English-language studies published from 2018 to 2023. Quality appraisal used Joanna Briggs Institute tools. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42023452669.
resultsFour themes captured the barriers, facilitators, and experiences shaping care transitions for people with dementia and their caregivers. Systemic influences included fragmented governance, funding and policy inconsistencies, and structural challenges in care coordination and delivery, mitigated by proactive planning and integrated care. Health and social care workforce factors highlighted gaps in dementia training, staffing, and communication, with empathetic, informed staff improving transitions. Emotions and decision making reflected caregiver burden, uncertainty, and advocacy, eased by early guidance and peer support. Cultural, social and situational influences showed how values, socioeconomic status, and rurality affected transition choices, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive, person-centered support. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Care transitions remain complex, shaped by systemic, workforce, emotional, and cultural factors. Addressing inequities and coordination gaps is critical for more integrated transitional care. Strengthening dementia-specific training, home-based care models, and culturally responsive communication may improve continuity, person-centeredness, and caregiver support.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.