The Positive aspects of the caregiving journey with dementia: Using a strengths-based perspective to reveal opportunities

Shelley Peacock, Dorothy Forbes, Maureen Markle-Reid, Pamela Hawranik, Debra Morgan, Lynn Jansen, Beverly D. Leipert, Sandra R. Henderson

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Articlepeer-review

126 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

abs The increasing prevalence of dementia in older adults will increase the demands for care from families and the health care system. Caring for a relative with dementia is often viewed as burdensome and stressful in nature; however, of late, attention has been given to the positive aspects of the caregiving journey. The purpose of this article is to discuss the qualitative findings related to the positive aspects of family caregiving from a mixed methods study. A strengthsbased perspective was used in the secondary analysis of six focus groups (N = 36) and three personal interview transcripts of family caregivers to persons with dementia. Findings reveal that family caregivers can view their role as an opportunity to give back, to discover personal strengths, and to become closer to the care receiver. The results suggest that identifying and mobilizing caregiver strengths can be an effective strategy for supporting family caregivers in their role.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)640-659
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Applied Gerontology
Volume29
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct. 2010

Keywords

  • Dementia
  • Family caregivers
  • Positive aspects

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