The Experiences and Expectations of Persons Living Within the Community with Early-Stage Dementia
摘要
The older person living with dementia is often overlooked owing to the cognitive changes brought about by dementia. Nonetheless, given the time and chance, this cohort is able to put their experiences into words and express how they live with the condition day by day and indicate what they expect from the future. This chapter will explore the experiences, feelings, needs, challenges, and future aspirations of the older person living with dementia, within the Maltese community. Six face-to-face interviews with older persons living with early-stage dementia were carried out. The interviews were analyzed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four unique superordinate themes emerged from the varied responses of the older persons (1) toward a dementia diagnosis, (2) experiencing losses, (3) relationships with family and friends, and (4) life goes on. The dearth in international research in respect of the feelings, needs, and struggles of this cohort provided for a rich understanding of the experiences and expectations of the older persons living with dementia, as articulated by themselves. Recommendations to policymakers, institutions, and service providers, with the aim of empowering the older person living with dementia, were provided.