An Exploration of How Age and Aging Shape Caregiving Experiences in Oldest-old Spousal Caregivers of People with Dementia

Oldest-old spousal caregivers (CGs) of people with dementia are a fast growing, highly vulnerable, yet poorly understood population. As oldest-old individuals, these CGs have a high likelihood of experiencing aging-related changes (e.g., frailty, multimorbidities) that result in unique caregiving experiences and support needs. Specialized interventions, sensitive to CGs' age- and aging-related experiences and needs, may be required to provide adequate support to this group. To date, this group has received limited attention in the literature. The purpose of my dissertation was to elucidate how age and aging shape caregiving experiences in oldest-old spousal CGs of people with dementia. I conducted two studies. In the first, I used a meta-study methodology to explore existing qualitative research on the experiences of this caregiving subgroup. The meta-study revealed a critical lack of research exploring issues of age and aging in the caregiving role, and illuminated numerous limitations to be considered in future research. In the second study, I used a narrative gerontology approach to explore issues of age and aging from CGs' perspectives. Data were analyzed to address two separate objectives. The first analysis explored CGs' perceptions of how their experiences are shaped by age and aging and caregiving. Results illustrated how age and aging can shape CGs' experiences through a multitude of age- and aging-related factors such as physical decline, changes in social networks, life experiences, socio-cultural norms, and stereotypes. The second analysis explored how CGs manage age-related caregiving challenges. CGs recounted the use of a myriad of strategies to master their caregiving goals and to reduce stress, and reported on the facilitators and barriers to using different strategies. Together the studies illustrated many ways in which age and aging matter in caregiving. This research can ultimately help inform the tailoring of caregiving supports to the unique age- and aging-related experiences and needs of oldest-old spousal CGs of people with dementia.

Department dc:contributor.department

Rehabilitation Science

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Arbel, Ifah

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dawson, Deirdre R.

• Aging
• Caregivers
• Dementia
• Oldest-old

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/109007

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/109007