Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Maintenance of dignity is important for dementia care. However, the concept seems to be different from each viewpoint. This study surveyed family carers’ opinions and revealed the differences from the views of sex, age, and relationships. The subjects were family carers who accompanied outpatients with dementia at three geriatric clinics in the south area of Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. The questions asked were about the concepts and practices of dignity for people with dementia (PWD). We obtained opinions from 114 carers by a free answer method. We analyzed the text of their answers using correspondence analysis. As a result, the words’ plots near each independent variable (sex, age, and relationships) suggested that practices to maintain the dignity for PWD are different from each viewpoint. For instance, an analysis for the relationships extracted two dimensions: inner world and expressed behaviors, and distance of the relationship. From the words’ plots near “spouses” and “daughters”, they had a trend to value their PWD’s feelings and thoughts and want to regard their PWD as the same family member they had always known. Daughters-in law had a tendency to be considerate of the PWD (e.g. for the PWD not to be upset during the cleanup of excretion). On the other hand, sons tended to think about the causes of a PWD’s symptoms or behaviors and cope with them carefully. The findings concluded that people working in dementia care should know different views of dignity for PWD, which will positively influence their daily care.