Maintaining Social Connections in Dementia: A Qualitative Synthesis

The clinical symptoms of dementia include difficulty with speech, poor short-term memory, and changes in behavior. These symptoms can affect how the person with dementia understands and performs in social interactions. This qualitative review investigated how people with mild to moderate dementia managed social connections. A systematic search of social science databases retrieved 13 articles; data were synthesized using thematic analysis. Results established the work undertaken by people with dementia to maintain and present a social persona seen as socially acceptable. Interpretations are co... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Birt, Linda
Griffiths, Rebecca
Charlesworth, Georgina
Higgs, Paul
Orrell, Martin
Leung, Phuong
Poland, Fiona
Dokumenttyp: Journal article
Erscheinungsdatum: 2019
Verlag/Hrsg.: SAGE Publications
Schlagwörter: Agency / Dementia / Sociology / Self / stigma / Social construction / Goffman / Sabat / Qualitative / Literature review / Europe / North America / Canada
Sprache: unknown
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-29258054
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319874782

The clinical symptoms of dementia include difficulty with speech, poor short-term memory, and changes in behavior. These symptoms can affect how the person with dementia understands and performs in social interactions. This qualitative review investigated how people with mild to moderate dementia managed social connections. A systematic search of social science databases retrieved 13 articles; data were synthesized using thematic analysis. Results established the work undertaken by people with dementia to maintain and present a social persona seen as socially acceptable. Interpretations are contextualized within Goffman and Sabat’s theories on “self.” People with dementia were agentic in impression management: undertaking work to maintain recognized social roles, while being aware of when their illness led to others discrediting them. Wider recognition of strategies used to maintain a social self could inform interventions designed to increase capability and confidence in co-managing social connections following dementia diagnosis.