The experience of carers of people with young onset dementia has not received much empirical attention, despite increasing recognition that younger carers' experience may be different from that of older carers. The current thesis thereby begins with a narrative review of the literature that argues that an emphasis on the needs of younger carers for services has neglected to consider their psychological needs. The review first considers ways in which dementia is perceived to be different for younger people and their carers and why this has then led to the development of specialist services. However, it is then argued, with illustrative examples, that the provision of specialist services does not meet younger carers' need for psychological support. The review then considers the emotional impact of younger carers' experiences and attempts to elucidate their coping strategies. The review concludes that younger carers' subjective experience and coping strategies may be different from those of older carers. The broader implications for the development of services are discussed and recommendations made for future research. Subsequently, in an attempt to address the need for a focused and detailed exploration of the experience and coping strategies adopted by younger carers, a qualitative study, using interpretative phenomenological analysis, was undertaken with six partners of people with young onset dementia. Four themes are critically discussed that related to younger carers' coping strategies and their implications for clinical practice are considered. The thesis concludes with a critical reflection on the research process. This includes further discussion of the research findings and of the methodological, practical and process issues encountered during the research. The significance of the research findings in relation to the development of guidelines and interventions for carers of peopTe with young onset dementia are considered. Recommendations are also made for clinical practice and future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:551650 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Lockeridge, Shirley Ann |
| Publisher | Lancaster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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