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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Facing the future
— a qualitative study of older people referred to a memory clinic prior to assessment and diagnosis | | Author(s) | Esme Moniz-Cook, Jill Manthorpe, Irene Carr |
| Journal title | Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice, vol 5, no 3, August 2006 |
| Pages | pp 375-396 |
| Source | http://www.dem.sagepub.com |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Screening ; Referrals ; Geriatric out-patients clinics ; Attitude ; Patients ; The Family ; Qualitative Studies. |
| Annotation | The understandings of dementia held by older people and family members prior to assessment in a UK memory clinic are described; 48 older people and 48 family members were interviewed separately. Most of the older people awaiting assessment described their lives as having purpose, meaning and pleasure for themselves and others. However, these individuals (who later received a diagnosis of dementia) and their family members, perceived dementia as a loss of mind, and associated it with loss of bodily functions (continence and mobility): they considered that it would negatively affect personal relationships and pleasure. For many, the consequences of dementia were predicted to be family upset, inactivity and an inevitable relocation to a care home. Most of the individuals and their family members showed a mutual concern for each other's future well-being. The findings are reported with reference to an Illness Representation model, which captures a participant's appraisal or perception of a "health threat", in other words, the possibility of a dementia diagnosis. Service developments are proposed that acknowledge the personal strengths and concerns of memory clinic attendees and their families during this liminal time of waiting for assessment and possible confirmation of dementia. Advice on the maintenance of pleasure and relationships, as well as information that addresses the fears identified, are important avenues for timely psychosocial support, since these have the potential to shape positive attitudes and lifestyle following a dementia diagnosis. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-060918212 A |
| Classmark | EA: 3V: L5R: L6G: DP: LF: SJ: 3DP |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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