Korean american family postcaregivers on dementia caregiving: a phenomenological inquiry.
The purpose of this article is to understand dementia caregiving and postcaregiving experience from the Korean-American family caregiver perspective. In this transcendental phenomenological study, I analyzed both in-depth interviews from 8 caregivers and field notes with the procedure of Moustakas' (1994) modification of the Van Kaam method. Five core themes characterized participants' experiences: understanding elderly patients with Alzheimer's by accepting it as a disease; self-defining and self-appraising of caregivers; caregiving as a family affair while examining transgenerational continuity of filial piety; returning caregiving to caregivers in turn as a mode of mourning; and reviewing dissatisfying experiences with the formal care system. Based on a small but relatively heterogeneous sample, this study advances the understanding of the underlying, dynamic context of Korean-American family dementia caregiving and addresses certain implications of geriatric social work intervention for postcaregivers.
Kim
Yujin
Y
School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. yujin_kim@yahoo.com
D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000208:ethnology*; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D014481:United States