Negotiating the Joint Career: Couples Adapting to Alzheimer's and Aging in Place

To understand the impact of memory loss on aging in place, this paper investigated dyads where one spouse had been diagnosed with memory loss. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with ten couples (N = 20). Grounded theory methods were used to collect, code, and analyze data into themes. Data revealed consensus among and between dyads that it was best to focus on living, rather than what had been or might someday be lost. Nonetheless, differences according to gender and cognitive status (e.g., diagnosed or spouse) were reported. Given population aging, identifying the impact of gender roles and social norms on the potential for aging in place with memory loss is critical. Community services and care practices must be sensitive to the ways that couples prioritized and organized their relationship prior to diagnosis in order to encourage positive patterns of care between couples, foster successful adaptation to changing needs, and support in-home arrangements as long as possible

Resisting social disenfranchisement: Negotiating collective identities and everyday life with memory loss

Being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease marks a status passage formally legitimating the incorporation of forgetfulness into daily life. Based on interviews with diagnosed individuals in California, USA, we examine the mechanisms through which an Alzheimer's label is employed to justify forgetfulness, to manage social interactions, and to garner support when deemed necessary, while simultaneously combating the associated demented "master status." For diagnosed individuals, the transition from experience to symptom requires a redefinition of everyday forgetfulness into a medical problem. That is, respondents did not routinely perceive their experiences as pathological but rather were socialised into viewing age-related forgetfulness as symbolic of disease. Support groups sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association and memory clinics have a profound impact not only on the formation of group identity, but also on socialising forgetful individuals into diseased identities. The social disenfranchisement accompanying a diagnosis of dementia transforms forgetful older adults into "Alzheimer's patients," who must manage not only the manifestations of their disease, but also negotiate their interactions and identities. Their adaptation to the "symptoms" of forgetfulness and resultant social relations forms new interactional strategies whereby the diagnosis becomes a resource utilised to get through everyday life. Rather than being passive recipients of a diagnosis, respondents employ the label both as a resource, and as a phenomenon that needs to be incorporated into their self identity.USA Illness identity Collective experiences Alzheimer's disease Memory loss

Experiences and Concerns of Family Caregivers Providing Support to People With Dementia: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

We examined experiences and concerns among caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia from two ethnic groups. We conducted a thematic analysis of responses to the question, \u27What is your life like as a caregiver?\u27 in nine focus groups (n = 75) with Filipino and non-Hispanic White caregivers. Constant comparison methods identified themes by ethnicity. Experiences and concerns expressed across groups were related to care recipient symptoms commonly associated with dementia, including severe memory loss and behavioral changes. Participants in both ethnic groups described strategies that help them cope, such as receiving help from family and friends, receiving respite support, and participating in support groups. Filipino caregivers more often emphasized positive aspects of caregiving, whereas Whites often expressed that others do not understand the daily experiences of caregiving. Filipinos more commonly described caregivers as a \u27good person\u27 or \u27saint\u27 and emphasized that caregiving made them stronger

Beliefs About Promoting Cognitive Health Among Filipino Americans Who Care For Persons With Dementia

We examined beliefs about promoting cognitive health among Filipino Americans who care for persons with dementia, their awareness of media information about cognitive health, and their suggestions for communicating such information to other caregivers. We conducted three focus groups (25 participants). The constant comparison method compared themes across focus groups. Caregivers most frequently described cognitive health benefits of social engagement and leisure; next in emphasis were benefits of healthy diets. There was less emphasis on physical activity. Participants had heard from television that avoiding smoking, alcohol, and drugs might promote cognitive health. Ways to inform others about cognitive health included information in Filipino newspapers, and handouts in Filipino languages, distributed in Filipino stores, workplaces, community organizations, and health care facilities. Findings suggest an opportunity to develop public health messages promoting cognitive health that are in-language, published in ethnic-specific media, and that are culturally appropriate for Filipino and other Asian Americans