Matched by what they love, not just what they need: a Manchester trial gives people with dementia their spark back

After a dementia diagnosis, many families describe a 'desert of support' — nothing much arrives until exhaustion or crisis does. In Greater Manchester, a year-long trial tried the opposite. Live More, run with Shared Lives Plus, matched 69 people living with dementia and their families with a Shared Lives carer — a trained carer chosen not just for skills, but for shared interests, personality and the things both sides value most. An independent evaluation has now found what that early, human match achieved: better mood and wellbeing, more choice and independence, and renewed social connection. Families said they saw the 'spark' of the person they remembered, and family carers reported more peace of mind and a greater capacity to keep going. 'When we act earlier, with trusted and supportive relationships, people enjoy greater wellbeing for longer,' said Shared Lives Plus chief executive Ewan King — and moves into residential care can be delayed.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: institutional program