About the programme
Our national Live More programme explores the potential of Shared Lives day arrangements for people with dementia and their families.
The programme was jointly developed and led by Greater Manchester ADASS and Shared Lives Plus, working with NHS Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Dementia United and the 10 local Shared Lives schemes, and formally launched in 2025 by Andy Burnham in his previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Thanks to the ambition of local areas and charity funders, we are now expanding Live More to new areas across the UK. We are also running a vibrant Community of Practice for local areas who are interested in learning and contributing to this work.
Earlier, relationship based support for people with dementia and their families
Staying active and connected to the people, places and things that matter to us is central to all of our wellbeing. When someone lives with dementia, being connected to people, hobbies, activities and places that make us feel alive keeps our spark for longer, and tempers the isolating pressure on family and friends. Yet after a diagnosis, many people experience little support and only turn to health social care support at exhaustion or a crisis – prompting a crisis response.
It is in this gap – before people are typically eligible for adult social care and families usually reach out for respite, that Live More tested whether a small amount of time with a Shared Lives carer could support someone to keep active and do things that mattered to them – as well as giving their family time to recharge, or give them space to be a partner or family member again. The independent evaluation report shows significant impact for individuals, family carers as well as to health and social care services.
Research by Prendergast et al on Supporting social connection for people living with dementia: lessons from the findings of the TRIO study concluded that people living with dementia who have accessed Shared Lives day support and short breaks experienced enhanced social connection, a sense of control over their lives and community presence, while offering family carers much valued ‘time out’ and strengthening their capacity to offer ongoing support. A study of Shared Lives day support for people with dementia in Moray found that ‘Shared Lives can support people to live at home for longer and delay accessing residential care.’ This indicates an opportunity to invest in Shared Lives day support as a mode of early action and prevention; delaying or offsetting calls on more intensive and costly health and social care services.
