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. 2025 Sep;26(9):105745.
doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2025.105745. Epub 2025 Jul 17.

Transportation Services in Society for Individuals Living With Dementia in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Scoping Review

Soojeong Han  1 , Simon P Navarro  2 , Gregory L Alexander  2
Affiliations

Transportation Services in Society for Individuals Living With Dementia in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Scoping Review

Soojeong Han et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: Significant numbers of adults with dementia require long-term care services. For example, around 750,000 people who live in nursing homes have a diagnosis of dementia. Transportation insecurity for the long-term care facility population has not received sufficient attention. This scoping review aims to explore the literature on nonemergency medical transportation for long-term care facility residents with dementia and identify research gaps related to transportation challenges faced by this vulnerable population.

Design: A scoping review.

Setting and participants: This review included research studies published in peer-reviewed journals regarding transportation services for long-term care facility residents with dementia.

Methods: Arksey and O'Malley's framework and PRISMA-ScR checklist were followed. The search was performed in 5 databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Embase. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were independently reviewed by 2 reviewers, and all discrepancies were resolved by a consensus discussion.

Results: Of the 1405 publications screened, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria for analysis and synthesis for this review. The need for adequate transportation services was expressed by caregivers, health care professionals, and individuals with dementia. Dementia-specific challenges and other transportation insecurity issues related to social determinants of health, such as finance and rural and urban contexts, were disclosed. Surprisingly, no studies explored transportation insecurity as a primary focus for individuals with dementia in long-term care facilities, representing a significant literature gap.

Conclusions and implications: The findings of this review address critical literature gaps related to transportation challenges faced by long-term care facility residents with dementia and provide evidence to guide and develop transportation service systems as well as potential interventions for long-term care residents, especially those with dementia. Further explorations and experiments are needed to establish long-term care facilities with dementia-friendly features, which enhance accessibility and quality of life for these residents.

Keywords: Dementia; long-term care facilities; nursing homes; scoping review; social determinants of health; transportation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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