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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| A grounded theory longitudinal study of carers' experiences of caring for people with dementia | | Author(s) | Mei-Chun Lin, Maureen Macmillan, Norrie Brown |
| Journal title | Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice, vol 11, no 2, March 2012 |
| Pages | pp 181-197 |
| Source | http://dem.sagepub.com/ |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Family care ; Spouses as carers ; Stress ; Attitude ; Adjustment ; Longitudinal surveys. |
| Annotation | Provision of care for older people with dementia in the UK is shifting from institutions to the community. This longitudinal, grounded approach study sought to identify, describe and explore the changes in the carers' experiences, autonomy and health over time. Six spouses (mean age 69 years, 6-10 years caring since diagnosis) were interviewed at the beginning, at six months and at eighteen months. Four themes emerged; 'my life changed', commitment, responsibility and duty, and support. The core category - 'my life changed' - represented the beginning of the caregiving journey and the learning from experience that occurred as a consequence. Commitment referred to a deepened and sustained element. Responsibility and duty increased over time and support reflected the fluctuating nature of help provided by formal and informal sources. All participants experienced changes on their caregiving journey but the degree and nature of necessary adaptations varied. The authors conclude that a theory of caring emerged, but the changes did not appear to conform to any fixed pattern. All carers learned by experience to manage their situations. Autonomy and health was challenged in every case. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-120710004 A |
| Classmark | EA: P6:SJ: P6:SN: QNH: DP: DR: 3J |
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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