DEMENTIA: A GRADUAL DEATH

DEMENTIA: A GRADUAL DEATH

EMPOWERMENT AND SUPPORT TO AFFECTED FAMILIES



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

Signature:

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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

Background Of The Study1

Purpose Of The Study1

Rational Of The Study2

Aim And Objectives2

Research Questions3

Ethical Considerations3

Time Scale4

CHAPTER 02: DESCRIPTION5

Dementia5

Caregivers Of Elders With Dementia6

Caregiver's Beliefs About Care Giving6

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY8

Collection Of Primary Data8

Research Design8

Literature Search8

CHAPTER 04: CONCLUSION10

REFERENCES11

DEMENTIA: A GRADUAL DEATH

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

As part of the Scottish Social Services Council code of practice, Social Workers are required and expected to protect and promote the interest of service users and carers. The immediate worrying issue for the informal carers after diagnoses of dementia is how to go about getting information. Key information such as how fast is the progression of the illness, how to cope with it, services available to provide support, welfare benefits, employment, advice on legal and financial issues are readily questions requiring answers. Therefore my research proposal is designed to provide support, education and empowerment to families that lack dementia care training. (SARANTAKOS, 2005, 78-2)

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to show the progressive and degenerative effects of dementia on an individual. It will examine the rapid decline in the person's abilities and capabilities thus leading to a gradual death and will also explore the amount of care and support they will need as the disease progresses. The research will identify what happens to family life after dementia has been diagnosed, the effect and ways of supporting and empowering families to remain as closely bonded as they were at the pre-dementia stage. The research will try to show how dementia can be seen as an end to family life as it was formerly due to the limited mental capacity of the person with dementia. (WAGLE, 1999, 478-484)

Rational Of the Study

This study is important because research in the area of care giving to persons with dementia is relatively new. (CURRAN, 2004, pp. 1-5) While the focus of research has been on depression of dementia caregivers, burden, and, little research has been completed on sex and relational differences in dementia caregivers. In addition, determining caregiver beliefs about care giving, and the impact these have on caregiver reactions to the behaviors of elders with dementia has received little attention. The use of psychometrically sound instruments developed specifically to assess the frequency of dementia-related behaviors and caregiver's reactions to these has been minimal in care giving research. Comparing elder behaviors with caregiver reactions, caregiver beliefs about care giving, ...