Between Us: An Investigation of How Family Primary Caregivers Communicate with Demented Family Members in Taiwan (88368)

Session Information:

Saturday, 4 January 2025 17:00
Session: Poster Session 1
Room: 3F Hallway
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

All presentation times are UTC-10 (Pacific/Honolulu)

This study, guided by family adjustment and adaptation response model, explores how family primary caregivers communicate with demented patients in Taiwan. A total of 13 participants (3 males and 10 females), aging from 38 to 81, were recruited for one-on-one in-depth interviews from August 1, 2023 to August 8, 2024. The results of the interviews revealed that primary caregivers noticed that dementia patients, who were on a path of memory loss, often behaved unpredictably during communication. Primary caregivers tended to be more lenient towards dementia patients, striving to avoid angering them during interactions. Even when verbally hurt by dementia patients, senior primary caregivers usually chose to endure silently, hoping for a mutually supportive relationship. Younger caregivers, however, chose to have words with demented family members while facing conflicts even though they realized that filial piety was an important tradition. The study suggests that the communication between primary caregivers and dementia patients is influenced by traditional Confucian values. When faced with the challenges brought by dementia patients during communication, most primary caregivers often suppress their own emotions. However, this may not be the most effective communication approach for both parties. It is, therefore, suggests that communication training should be provided in the future to enable primary caregivers to maintain their sense of self while caring, ultimately achieving a win-win situation.

Authors:
Hung-Yi Lu, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan


About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Lu is currently the professor at Department of Communication and Graduate Institute of Telecommunications in National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan.

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00