ERIC Number: EJ978734
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-0147
EISSN: N/A
Spousal Caregiver Narratives and Credible Authority: Uncertainty in Illness of Spousal Caregivers
Sodowsky, Karen
Qualitative Report, v17 Article 35 2012
This article is taken from a larger longitudinal study that used caregiver interviews, caregiver surveys, and caregiver statistical information of one community. The interviews were conducted with six spousal caregivers to examine the narratives produced by spouses actively caring for their partners with dementia. The spousal caregivers were interviewed multiple times over approximately 12 to 18 months. The author was the caregiver counselor and had worked in the community in social services for fifteen years. The narratives were analyzed using a phenomenological approach that allowed the development of descriptions of uncertainty and sharing caregiver narratives with a specialized audience. The duality of caregiver uncertainty based on making decisions for and about cognitively impaired care recipients is evident in diagnosis, safety, end-of-life decisions, and the caregivers' health. The choice of professional listeners as the audience when talking about uncertainty in illness relates to the importance of credible authority in reducing caregiver uncertainty.
Descriptors: Dementia, Caregivers, Spouses, Caring, Audiences, Listening, Phenomenology, Personal Narratives, Decision Making, Terminal Illness, Health Services, Patients, Health, Caregiver Attitudes, Social Services, Safety, Older Adults
Nova Southeastern University. 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317. Tel: 954-262-5389; Fax: 954-262-3970; Web site: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A