Maintaining social connections in dementia: A qualitative synthesis

Birt, Linda, Griffths, Rebecca, Charlesworth, Georgina, Higgs, Paul, Orrell, Martin, Leung, Phuong and Poland, Fiona ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0003-6911 (2020) Maintaining social connections in dementia: A qualitative synthesis. Qualitative Health Research, 30 (1). pp. 23-42. ISSN 1049-7323

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Abstract

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.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: agency,dementia,stigma,social construction,self,goffman,sabat
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Dementia & Complexity in Later Life
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2019 14:30
Last Modified: 06 Jun 2024 15:08
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/72466
DOI: 10.1177/1049732319874782

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