Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples
As the population ages, the number of people with dementia increases. An emerging body of research is focusing on living with dementia and understanding the experience of caring and the care burden. There is much less research on the meaning of dementia from the perspective of an older couple’s spou...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2559 |
| _version_ | 1797457496154046464 |
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| author | Päivi Eskola Outi Jolanki Mari Aaltonen |
| author_facet | Päivi Eskola Outi Jolanki Mari Aaltonen |
| author_sort | Päivi Eskola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the population ages, the number of people with dementia increases. An emerging body of research is focusing on living with dementia and understanding the experience of caring and the care burden. There is much less research on the meaning of dementia from the perspective of an older couple’s spousal relationship and related intimacy. This qualitative study explores the meanings of emotional and physical intimacy and the changes brought by dementia in the couplehood of persons with dementia and their spousal carers. The data comprise semi-structured interviews with 35 persons. The interviews were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Four themes describing the meanings of relational intimacy were identified: intimacy as a striving force, intimacy turning into worrisome behaviour, intimacy as physical and emotional dependency, and intimacy turning into one-sided caring for a partner. Dementia changes the intimate relationship in many ways, but shared affection and long-term partnership help maintain the spousal relationship. While dementia may bring about conflicts and behavioural challenges in an intimate relationship, the couple’s shared intimacy and a sense of responsibility for one another may serve as a resource and support the continuity of couplehood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:21:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a715ae802bf3493d95918e717331a183 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:21:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-a715ae802bf3493d95918e717331a1832023-11-24T15:12:10ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322022-12-011012255910.3390/healthcare10122559Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing CouplesPäivi Eskola0Outi Jolanki1Mari Aaltonen2Gerontology Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, and Open University, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, FinlandGerontology Research Center, Faculty of Social Sciences and Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, FinlandGerontology Research Center, Faculty of Social Sciences and Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, FinlandAs the population ages, the number of people with dementia increases. An emerging body of research is focusing on living with dementia and understanding the experience of caring and the care burden. There is much less research on the meaning of dementia from the perspective of an older couple’s spousal relationship and related intimacy. This qualitative study explores the meanings of emotional and physical intimacy and the changes brought by dementia in the couplehood of persons with dementia and their spousal carers. The data comprise semi-structured interviews with 35 persons. The interviews were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Four themes describing the meanings of relational intimacy were identified: intimacy as a striving force, intimacy turning into worrisome behaviour, intimacy as physical and emotional dependency, and intimacy turning into one-sided caring for a partner. Dementia changes the intimate relationship in many ways, but shared affection and long-term partnership help maintain the spousal relationship. While dementia may bring about conflicts and behavioural challenges in an intimate relationship, the couple’s shared intimacy and a sense of responsibility for one another may serve as a resource and support the continuity of couplehood.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2559dementiaintimacyrelationshipscouplehoodfamily carequalitative research |
| spellingShingle | Päivi Eskola Outi Jolanki Mari Aaltonen Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples Healthcare dementia intimacy relationships couplehood family care qualitative research |
| title | Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples |
| title_full | Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples |
| title_fullStr | Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples |
| title_full_unstemmed | Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples |
| title_short | Through Thick and Thin: The Meaning of Dementia for the Intimacy of Ageing Couples |
| title_sort | through thick and thin the meaning of dementia for the intimacy of ageing couples |
| topic | dementia intimacy relationships couplehood family care qualitative research |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2559 |
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