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Barriers to healthcare services experienced by black and minority ethnic (BME) persons with dementia are labelled as “cultural” in existing research. This is a promising shift from an ethno-centric approach to dementia care provision, yet very little research is dedicated to specifically how religion – as distinct from culture – influences healthcare practice. Further consideration of the religion–culture distinction is required; religion and culture are two distinct entities, which inevitably interlink. Cultural themes such as “God's will”, “Religious Ritual” and “Religious Duty”, warrant re-categorisation as “religious”. Sensitivity to the nuances between cultural and religious themes will provide clearer knowledge of how and why BME persons with dementia experience barriers to accessing care services. Further research is needed with regard to the role of religion specifically on dementia care access for BME persons to aim to improve care provision for this underrepresented demographic.

Objective: To investigate how religion influences care pathways for black and minority ethnic individuals with dementia. We conducted a systematic search of the literature to explore how religion affects later presentation to care services, absence of care-seeking and dissatisfaction with care. Exclusion and Inclusion criteria were applied to the research literature. Qualitative and quantitative papers were included. Included studies were assessed independently by four authors according to quality criteria. Two US studies adhered to the final screening stage. Findings from these papers postulated that religion influences care in two polarised ways: (1) Religion hinders access to the traditional health care pathway. (2) Religion assists in positive coping. Collaboration between religious institutions and health care providers is required to improve care referral, provide information dissemination and relieve care-giver burden. UK research in this area is necessary.