Work

Validating a Behavioral Framework of Resilience in Dementia Care Partners: an Abductive Thematic Analysis Approach

Year: 2022

Type: conference-abstract

Abstract: One barrier to developing resilience-enhancing interventions for dementia care partners is a lack of an objective measure to capture resilience-related behaviors. To validate a behavioral framework of resilience in dementia care partners for future measure and intervention, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 care partners who experienced challenges created by a health crisis of their care recipients. We used abductive thematic analysis to identify 14 resilience-related behaviors care partners adopted to recover from care challenges. These behaviors included four problem-response behaviors, three help-related behaviors, three self-growth behaviors, two compassion-related behaviors, and two learning-related behaviors. Twelve care partners reported full recovery from the effects of their challenging experiences. Ten care partners reported partial recovery in the face of PLWD’s declining health and their own unmet needs, and four care partners felt not at all recovered. This finding suggests new intervention targets for enhancing care partner resilience.

Source: Innovation in Aging

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igac059.080

Authors: Yuanjin Zhou, Dilara Hasdemir, Emily Ishado, Soo Borson, Tatiana Sadak

Institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington, University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,615