Sociocultural insights on dementia care-giving in Arab and Muslim communities: the perspectives of family care-givers

Abstract

Little is known about the experiences of informal family care-giving for persons with ADRD in the context of Arab and Muslim communities. This paper offers fresh insight into the less-studied private sphere of the home, showing how families respond to the onset and long-term care of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). It considers the extent to which sociocultural and religious influences are appropriated by family care-givers as coping mechanisms and motivators for care. Drawing upon interviews with 32 family care-givers for older persons living with ADRD in Qatar, findings reveal the intersectionality of the care-giving experience with various sociocultural, religious and emotional influences through seven emergent themes: (a) reasons and motivations for care-giving; (b) role of the extended family; (c) socio-demographic attributes of care-givers, their allocated responsibilities and how these intersect; (d) socio-religious attitudes towards care-giving of older persons; (e) social stigma; (f) personal knowledge of ADRD; and (g) coping mechanisms. The paper is concluded with key implications of these sociocultural insights for theory, policy and practice, which could inform Qatar's health and social care provision sector as well as other Arab and Muslim communities that share similar cultural and religious belief systems.

Experiences of Families Caring for the Elderly With Dementia: Scoping Review

“…(Suzanne H. Hammad, 2022) Over 90% of survey respondents stated that they offer care to assist family members and out of religious conviction, which supported these themes (Sunshine M Rote, 2022) 1. Caring for older people brought both primary and secondary caregivers tangible and intangible benefits.…”

Experiencia de personas cuidadoras de pacientes con Trastorno Neurocognitivo tipo Alzheimer: feminización y familismo

“…Este cuidado proporcionado por los hijos es considerado, en muchas ocasiones, un deber y obligación moral hacia los padres, lo que se ve influenciado por factores económicos e individuales como la espiritualidad y religiosidad (Hammad et al, 2022). Pese a los reportes de salud mental en las personas cuidadoras que ejercen el rol de manera informal, en el estudio de Da Silva et al Por ello, en este estudio se evidenció que la familia es el entorno más próximo al cuidador, motivo por el cual los miembros se enfrentarán a retos como redefinir roles, modificar expectativas, asumir alteraciones en las relaciones y responder a situaciones difíciles (Prediger et al, 2018).…”

Research on Older Persons’ Access and Use of Technology in the Arab Region: Critical Overview and Future Directions

“…Caregiving children tend to shield their aging parents, especially those with chronic physical ailments or cognitive im-pairment, out of respect for their social standing in society and their privacy. This tendency was found to be rooted in a combination of a sense of religious duty, conservativism, particularly in relation to the state of health of family members, and the social shame associated with cognitive diseases [42,43]. If not understood well before undertaking home-based research involving older persons and their caregivers, such considerations could affect access and quality of engagement, hence undermining the quality and relevance of data.…”