Tolhurst Edward, Weicht Bernhard
School of Health, Science and Wellbeing, Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent ST4 2DE, UK.
Department of Sociology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Sep 8;11(18):2492. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11182492.
This article investigates the experience of male spousal carers for women living with dementia. While cultural discourses on care are highly gendered, social scientific research often addresses care relationships in gender-neutral terms. Setting out to address this matter, this qualitative research study incorporated semi-structured joint interviews with 10 couples in which a male spouse cared for a woman with dementia. The aim was to explore how couples negotiate relationships and care following a diagnosis of dementia. The focus of this paper is on the perspectives expressed in these joint interviews by the male carers. A thematic analysis was undertaken to establish the key content of the men's accounts. Three principal themes were identified: making sense of the condition; treating dementia as a problem to be solved; and engaging with professionals and support. The gendered basis of experience for male carers is explored within these themes, demonstrating how societal norms of masculinity intersect with caring roles. The paper concludes that a nuanced research approach to dementia care must continue to be developed, accounting for how gender shapes personal responses to the navigation of care relationships. Practitioners and policymakers must also consider how gendered experience shapes the identities and strategies of male carers.
本文探讨了男性配偶照顾痴呆症女性患者的经历。虽然关于照顾的文化话语具有强烈的性别特征，但社会科学研究往往以性别中立的方式探讨照顾关系。为了解决这个问题，这项定性研究对10对夫妻进行了半结构化联合访谈，其中男性配偶照顾患有痴呆症的女性。目的是探讨夫妻在痴呆症诊断后如何协商关系和照顾事宜。本文的重点是男性照顾者在这些联合访谈中表达的观点。进行了主题分析以确定男性叙述的关键内容。确定了三个主要主题：理解病情；将痴呆症视为一个需要解决的问题；与专业人员接触并获得支持。在这些主题中探讨了男性照顾者经历的性别基础，展示了男性气质的社会规范如何与照顾角色相互交织。本文得出结论，必须继续发展一种细致入微的痴呆症护理研究方法，考虑到性别如何塑造个人对照顾关系的应对方式。从业者和政策制定者还必须考虑性别化的经历如何塑造男性照顾者的身份和策略。
