Couple Well-Being and Dementia

Abstract

Taking a multidisciplinary approach to understanding dementia challenges some common beliefs about the illness. Applying a family systems perspective and performance theory to research from nursing, social work, occupational therapy, sociology, and anthropology situates dementia in an embodied social context of relatedness. As a result, new knowledge emerges: when their sense of relatedness is supported, dementia-affected couples report experiencing increased well-being rather than the despair described in medical and psychological literature that focuses on the individualistic experience of dementia. These findings have implications for dementia care, research, and policy, and particularly for couples and families affected by the illness.