The Experience of Lived Time in People with Dementia: A Systematic Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> For people with dementia, lived time is important to understand, as the condition affects memory, perceptions of time, and life expectancy. The aim of this study was to locate, interpret, and synthesize the experience of lived time for people with dementia. <b><i>Method:</i></b> This article presents a qualitative systematic meta-synthesis. The theoretical framework of lifeworlds by van Manen provided the context for the study. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme criteria for qualitative studies were used to appraise the studies. Sixty-one qualitative research studies based on interviews with people with dementia were included in the review. The analysis followed the principles of interpretive synthesis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Four categories were revealed: (1) rooted in the past – “I am the same as before”; (2) focussing on the present – “Nobody has tomorrow”; (3) thinking about the future – “What is going to happen to me?”; and (4) changes in the experience of self over time – “I used to….” The latent overall meaning was expressed as “being engaged with the dimensions of time.” <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The experience of lived time is an active and important one, enabling people to manage the dementia journey. Future work involving people with dementia should foreground the experience of lived time.

Patients' memories from intensive care unit: A qualitative systematic review

“…For this systematic review, the data abstraction was conducted in line with the principles of an interpretative synthesis (Dixon‐Woods et al., 2005 ). The analyses were guided by inductive qualitative content analysis as described by Graneheim and Lundman ( 2004 ), which has been used in previous qualitative SRs (Eriksen et al., 2020 ; Sibbern et al., 2017 ; Uhrenfeldt et al., 2013 ). Conducting a qualitative content analysis gives the opportunity to interpret manifest and as well as latent content (Graneheim et al., 2017 ).…”

The facilitation of user-involvement for people with dementia as experienced by health care professionals: A qualitative study using focus groups

“…They might also be afraid of not being able to comply with future wishes because of possible changes in the healthcare system (van der Steen et al, 2014;Wendrich-van Dael et al, 2020). It could also be the result of people with dementia primarily wanting to focus on living one day at a time (Eriksen et al, 2020) and a wish to live by the day (de Boer et al, 2012). A review by Sellars et al (2019) aiming to describe people with dementia and their carers perspectives on ACP, stated that planning for the future while living with dementia make the person confront emotionally difficult conversations and navigate existential tensions.…”

“…Most people with dementia express the need and wish to hold on to who they are and to be actively engaged in their own lives (Telenius et al, 2020). However, a dementia diagnosis seems to raise strong feelings of loss, uncertainty and worry about the future (Bunn et al, 2012;Eriksen et al, 2020;Mazaheri et al, 2013). Previous research has shown that people with dementia consider involvement in decision-making to be an important means of affirming self-identity (Caddell & Clare, 2010;Fetherstonhaugh et al, 2013).…”

The experience of lived body as expressed by people with dementia: A systematic meta-synthesis

“…Our study is the last study of four studies based on van Manen's theory comprehending lived relations, lived space, lived time and lived body (Eriksen et al 2016(Eriksen et al , 2020Førsund et al 2018). All interview-based studies of moderate to high quality published during a given period were included in this meta-synthesis.…”