The Lived Experiences of People with Dementia and their Spouses

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of people with dementia and their spouses through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). This will raise awareness about dementia and help health care practitioners and society-at-large develop a better understanding of what it is like to live with the disease. Understanding the experiences of the spouses of dementia patients will also address what support is needed to help people in coping with these changes. The study employed the The Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Demographic and Health History Questionnaire, Dementia Awareness Ascertainment Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and a Semi structured questionnaire using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. Four patients with dementia and four spouses living with them in Aizawl, Mizoram were selected using purposive sampling technique. The administration of the tools was done with strict adherence to the manuals and the APA Ethical Code (2002). The findings indicate that the participants were struggling to different difficulties in their lived experiences with dementia. Additionally, negative emotional and physical effects were experienced by spousal caregivers in their caregiving role. Therefore, there is a need to explore more of the lived experiences of people with dementia and their spouses in their own voices