Exploring resilience in adult daughter and spousal carers of people living with dementia in North West England: an ecological approach. (8th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Donnellan, Warren James; Bennett, Kate Mary; Watson, Natalie
• Is Part Of: Quality in ageing and older adults. Volume 22:Number 1(2021)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 55
• Publication Date: 2021-07-08
• Subjects: Resilience -- Informal carer -- Spousal -- Adult daughter -- Ecological -- Qualitative; Older people -- Periodicals; Aging -- Periodicals; 305.2605
• DOI: 10.1108/QAOA-12-2020-0063
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-1827

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Research has shown that informal carers of people living with dementia (PLWD) can be resilient in the face of caregiving challenges. However, little is known about resilience across different kinship ties. This study aims to update and build on our previous work, using an ecological resilience framework to identify and explore the factors that facilitate or hinder resilience across spousal and adult daughter carers of PLWD. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of 13 carers from North West England and analysed the data using a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2003). Findings: Adult daughters were motivated to care out of reciprocity, whereas spouses were motivated to care out of marital duty. Spouses had a more positive and accepting attitude towards caregiving and were better able to maintain continuity, which facilitated their resilience. Research limitations/implications: Resilience emerged on multiple levels and depended on the type of kinship tie, which supports an ecological approach to resilience. The implications of these findings are discussed. Originality/value: This paper makes a novel contribution to the literature as it uses an in-depth qualitative methodology to compare resilience across spousal and adult daughter carers of PLWD. This study adopts an ecological approach to identify not just individual-level resilience resources but also interactive community- and societal-level resources.