Lowers Jane, Brus Kaitlyn, Smith Colby, Kavalieratos Dio, Hepburn Kenneth, Perkins Molly M
Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
New York University, New York, NY, USA.
J Appl Gerontol. 2025 Jan;44(1):166-175. doi: 10.1177/07334648241265197. Epub 2024 Jul 24.
One in three people with Alzheimer's or other dementias lives alone, without a spouse/partner or nearby children (i.e., is aging solo), yet most dementia caregiving research has focused solely on spouses or children. This study examined the experiences of friends, neighbors, siblings, and others providing unpaid care for someone with dementia. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 caregivers (100% female; age 54-85, mean 71; 93% white, 7% black; 29% friend, 29% sibling or in-law, 21% neighbor, 21% church congregant). Participants balanced three priorities: the person living with dementia's quality of life, the person's safety and well-being, and the caregiver's resources. Caregivers described tensions when these priorities conflicted, such as the person with dementia's goal to live alone versus risks to their physical safety. These findings and future research can inform policies and programs to support non-family dementia caregiving.
每三个患有阿尔茨海默病或其他痴呆症的人中就有一人独自生活，身边没有配偶/伴侣或子女（即独自变老），然而大多数痴呆症护理研究仅关注配偶或子女。本研究调查了为患有痴呆症的人提供无偿护理的朋友、邻居、兄弟姐妹及其他人的经历。我们对14名护理人员进行了半结构化访谈（100%为女性；年龄54 - 85岁，平均71岁；93%为白人，7%为黑人；29%为朋友，29%为兄弟姐妹或姻亲，21%为邻居，21%为教会成员）。参与者要平衡三个优先事项：患有痴呆症者的生活质量、其安全与福祉以及护理人员的资源。护理人员描述了这些优先事项冲突时的紧张状况，比如患有痴呆症者独自生活的目标与其身体安全风险之间的冲突。这些发现以及未来的研究可为支持非家庭痴呆症护理的政策和项目提供参考。
