Social networks in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease: longitudinal relationships with dementia severity, cognitive function, and adverse events.

As dementia progresses, older adults with AD are more likely to experience a decline in social network. Further, having a poor social network was associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing serious adverse events. These findings add novel insight into the complex relationship between social networks, dementia progression and adverse events in AD, and underscore the importance of developing and maintaining social networks in AD.