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Diagnosis of dementia as a turning point among F innish families: A qualitative study
Author(s) -
Pesonen HannaMari,
Remes Anne M.,
Isola Arja
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12059
Subject(s) - dementia , nonprobability sampling , psychosocial , turning point , qualitative research , memory clinic , psychological intervention , focus group , grounded theory , medicine , psychology , nursing , gerontology , psychiatry , population , disease , sociology , social science , physics , environmental health , pathology , acoustics , period (music) , anthropology
The experiences of receiving a diagnosis of dementia from the viewpoint of people with dementia and their family members were explored in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit people with newly‐diagnosed dementia ( n = 8) and their family members ( n = 8) from a university hospital's memory clinic in northern F inland. Data were collected using low‐structured interviews, and analyzed using the stages of grounded theory. The diagnosis of dementia was a mutual turning point in the family, and it was experienced and responded to in shared processes within the family. In a changing life situation, close ones became a significant resource, and focus on the present day was emphasized. Individuals with dementia and their family members aimed to live meaningful lives by being active agents. Understanding the individual and shared experiences of both those with dementia and their family members can help health professionals design and carry out tailored early psychosocial interventions for families to assist them to create a shared understanding of living with dementia.