Managing identity in early-stage dementia: maintaining a sense of being valued

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

E-ISSN: 1469-1779|33|2|216-242

ISSN: 0144-686x

Source: Ageing and Society, Vol.33, Iss.2, 2013-02, pp. : 216-242

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Abstract

Focusing on loss or maintenance of identity in persons with dementia may affect how they are approached and cared for. We performed a longitudinal study of 17 elderly persons with early-stage dementia with the aim of exploring changes in the experience of living with dementia. The major theme – a struggle to be valued – was clearly present in follow-up interviews. However, we observed a gradual shift in the concept of being valued: a shift from ‘being valued for what you do’ toward ‘being valued for who you are’. This progression represents a shift from performance-related core values of identity to those that are existentially related. These findings suggest that the self can be maintained by adjusting to loss.