Doctoral Dissertation
A Qualitative Study on the Care Experience of Caretakers of Elderly with Dementia at Home
Ju, Deok-Geum
Department of Education
Graduate School
Kyungsung University
Advisor : Joo, Yong-Kook
Abstract
The purpose ...
Doctoral Dissertation
A Qualitative Study on the Care Experience of Caretakers of Elderly with Dementia at Home
Ju, Deok-Geum
Department of Education
Graduate School
Kyungsung University
Advisor : Joo, Yong-Kook
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to propose basic data about lifelong education and awareness by defining the‘caring and adapting experience’for the elderly with dementia, through examining the subjective experiences of various caretakers, including spouses, children, daughters-in-law, and siblings. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the author tried to answer two questions based on Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method.
The research questions are:
1) What is the‘caring experience’for the elderly with dementia at home?
2) What is the essential meaning of‘adapting experience’experienced by caretakers caring for the elderly with dementia at home?
In order to collect research data, 7 caretakers were selected and interviewed as study participants who experienced adaptation in caring for the elderly with dementia at home. The data collection period was February 2021, and it was collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. With the consent of the participants, the interview contents were recorded, investigated, and processed through the descriptive phenomenological method. The author focused on the essence of the caring experience for the elderly with dementia.
Through the result extracted according to Giorgi's data analysis method, the contents of the‘caring and adaptation experience’of caretakers who took care for the elderly with dementia at home were derived in 163 semantic units, which were grouped into 30 central meanings. From the 30 central meanings, 9 topics were derived.
The 9 topics were “the loss of happiness in everyday life”, “a sense of being stuck in despair”, “the burden of livelihood”, "experiencing unending war", "a sense of losing direction", “finding light in the dark”,“losing hope”, “bonding of family”and "rediscovery of family love and self-growth".
According to the research questions presented above, the total research results can be sorted out as follows.
First, from the experience of caring for the elderly with dementia at home, the study participants expected to experience family conflicts due to caring for the elderly with dementia, but in fact, the study participants rarely experienced family conflicts. This is thought to be because caretakers such as spouses, daughters-in-law, children, and siblings are also in blood relations with other members before becoming caretakers. In addition, caretakers believed that their willingness to take care of the elderly with dementia which included desires such as: the desire to take care of their spouses, the desire to take care of their parents, the desire to take care of their father or mother-in-law, and desire to take care of their blood ties, has been the solution of possible family conflict.
Second, as an essential meaning of the‘adapting experience’of the caretakers caring for the elderly with dementia at home, the participants rediscovered their love for their family through the tightness of blood ties as caretakers. The participants were able to accept the elderly by looking back on past memories and realizing that this experience enabled them to give back to the elderly with gratitude and appreciation. As a result, although caring for the elderly became more difficult and stressful, they were more grateful that the elderly were still alive and wanted to care for the elderly until their passing in the environment that the elderly lived their life in.
As the participants cared for the elderly, they felt the gaze of recognition from other family members and relatives, and this was a source of energy to adapt in their role of caretakers. Also, since it wasn’t common to have men as caretakers in a patriarchal culture, caretakers that weren’t women were looked upon with respect by those around them. This gaze of recognition, encouragement, and consolation from their surroundings has been a help to the participants to take care of the elderly with dementia. This aspect reflects the cultural uniqueness of Korea.
In addition, the participants of the study received help through the social support system. With the use of visiting care services and day care centers, the participants were able to take time to relieve stress and recharge by exercising, meeting with friends, or sharing information.
Third, it was revealed that the participants had prejudice against the use of facilities. This was because the use of facilities can lead to a sense of guilt that they gave up caring for the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement specific and intimate social welfare and lifelong education programs and systems that combine social efforts to reduce social prejudice against the use of facilities (care centers).
It is important that pioneers are doing their best with quantitative and qualitative research to develop systematic dementia exercise programs and support programs for those caring at home. In this special situation of COVID-19, the systematic development of online dementia programs is also urgently required.
This study provided implications for the need to strengthen the function of lifelong education based on the adaptation experience of caretakers who have experienced caring for the elderly with dementia at home. In addition, it is of great significance that it can provide basic data on the support policy for caretakers by describing the importance of exploring and understanding the meaning of adaptation of caretakers who have experienced care for the elderly with dementia.
Doctoral Dissertation
A Qualitative Study on the Care Experience of Caretakers of Elderly with Dementia at Home
Ju, Deok-Geum
Department of Education
Graduate School
Kyungsung University
Advisor : Joo, Yong-Kook
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to propose basic data about lifelong education and awareness by defining the‘caring and adapting experience’for the elderly with dementia, through examining the subjective experiences of various caretakers, including spouses, children, daughters-in-law, and siblings. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the author tried to answer two questions based on Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method.
The research questions are:
1) What is the‘caring experience’for the elderly with dementia at home?
2) What is the essential meaning of‘adapting experience’experienced by caretakers caring for the elderly with dementia at home?
In order to collect research data, 7 caretakers were selected and interviewed as study participants who experienced adaptation in caring for the elderly with dementia at home. The data collection period was February 2021, and it was collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. With the consent of the participants, the interview contents were recorded, investigated, and processed through the descriptive phenomenological method. The author focused on the essence of the caring experience for the elderly with dementia.
Through the result extracted according to Giorgi's data analysis method, the contents of the‘caring and adaptation experience’of caretakers who took care for the elderly with dementia at home were derived in 163 semantic units, which were grouped into 30 central meanings. From the 30 central meanings, 9 topics were derived.
The 9 topics were “the loss of happiness in everyday life”, “a sense of being stuck in despair”, “the burden of livelihood”, "experiencing unending war", "a sense of losing direction", “finding light in the dark”,“losing hope”, “bonding of family”and "rediscovery of family love and self-growth".
According to the research questions presented above, the total research results can be sorted out as follows.
First, from the experience of caring for the elderly with dementia at home, the study participants expected to experience family conflicts due to caring for the elderly with dementia, but in fact, the study participants rarely experienced family conflicts. This is thought to be because caretakers such as spouses, daughters-in-law, children, and siblings are also in blood relations with other members before becoming caretakers. In addition, caretakers believed that their willingness to take care of the elderly with dementia which included desires such as: the desire to take care of their spouses, the desire to take care of their parents, the desire to take care of their father or mother-in-law, and desire to take care of their blood ties, has been the solution of possible family conflict.
Second, as an essential meaning of the‘adapting experience’of the caretakers caring for the elderly with dementia at home, the participants rediscovered their love for their family through the tightness of blood ties as caretakers. The participants were able to accept the elderly by looking back on past memories and realizing that this experience enabled them to give back to the elderly with gratitude and appreciation. As a result, although caring for the elderly became more difficult and stressful, they were more grateful that the elderly were still alive and wanted to care for the elderly until their passing in the environment that the elderly lived their life in.
As the participants cared for the elderly, they felt the gaze of recognition from other family members and relatives, and this was a source of energy to adapt in their role of caretakers. Also, since it wasn’t common to have men as caretakers in a patriarchal culture, caretakers that weren’t women were looked upon with respect by those around them. This gaze of recognition, encouragement, and consolation from their surroundings has been a help to the participants to take care of the elderly with dementia. This aspect reflects the cultural uniqueness of Korea.
In addition, the participants of the study received help through the social support system. With the use of visiting care services and day care centers, the participants were able to take time to relieve stress and recharge by exercising, meeting with friends, or sharing information.
Third, it was revealed that the participants had prejudice against the use of facilities. This was because the use of facilities can lead to a sense of guilt that they gave up caring for the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement specific and intimate social welfare and lifelong education programs and systems that combine social efforts to reduce social prejudice against the use of facilities (care centers).
It is important that pioneers are doing their best with quantitative and qualitative research to develop systematic dementia exercise programs and support programs for those caring at home. In this special situation of COVID-19, the systematic development of online dementia programs is also urgently required.
This study provided implications for the need to strengthen the function of lifelong education based on the adaptation experience of caretakers who have experienced caring for the elderly with dementia at home. In addition, it is of great significance that it can provide basic data on the support policy for caretakers by describing the importance of exploring and understanding the meaning of adaptation of caretakers who have experienced care for the elderly with dementia.
주제어
#caring for the elderly with dementia at home dependents adaptation experience
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