Rights statement: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/bridging-the-divide-the-adjustment-and-decisionmaking-experiences-of-people-with-dementia-living-with-a-recent-diagnosis-of-cancer-and-its-impact-on-family-carers/247BCAF3BAF1DEDCBC99C78A0FF57201 The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Ageing and Society, 40 (5), pp 944-965 2019, © 2019 Cambridge University Press.
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Bridging the Divide
T2 - The adjustment and decision-making experiences of people with dementia living with a recent diagnosis of cancer and its impact on family carers
AU - Mcwilliams, Lorna
AU - Swarbrick, Caroline
AU - Yorke, Janelle
AU - Burgess, Lorraine
AU - Farrell, Carole
AU - Grande, Gunn
AU - Bellhouse, Sarah
AU - Keady, John
N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/bridging-the-divide-the-adjustment-and-decisionmaking-experiences-of-people-with-dementia-living-with-a-recent-diagnosis-of-cancer-and-its-impact-on-family-carers/247BCAF3BAF1DEDCBC99C78A0FF57201 The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Ageing and Society, 40 (5), pp 944-965 2019, © 2019 Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2020/5/1
Y1 - 2020/5/1
N2 - The risk of living with dementia and, separately, cancer, increases exponentially with age. However, to date, there is a paucity of research investigating the experiences of people living with both these conditions. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the decision-making and treatment options for people who live with both dementia and cancer. In total, ten people living with both dementia and cancer (aged 39–93 years) and nine family carers were interviewed. Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis was used together with framework matrices to organise the data. In this article four sequential and descriptive themes are presented. ‘Reaching a diagnosis of cancer’ describes the vital role that family carers play in encouraging the person with dementia to seek an explanation for their presenting (undiagnosed cancer) symptoms to their general practitioner. ‘Adjusting to the cancer diagnosis when living with dementia’ outlines a variety of emotional and practical responses to receiving news of the diagnosis. ‘Weighing up the cancer treatment options’ highlights the different decisions and circumstances that family carers and people living with both dementia and cancer are faced with post-diagnosis. ‘Undergoing cancer treatment’ shares the finding that cancer treatment decision-making was not straightforward and that people living with both dementia and cancer would often forget about their cancer and what procedures they had been through.
AB - The risk of living with dementia and, separately, cancer, increases exponentially with age. However, to date, there is a paucity of research investigating the experiences of people living with both these conditions. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the decision-making and treatment options for people who live with both dementia and cancer. In total, ten people living with both dementia and cancer (aged 39–93 years) and nine family carers were interviewed. Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis was used together with framework matrices to organise the data. In this article four sequential and descriptive themes are presented. ‘Reaching a diagnosis of cancer’ describes the vital role that family carers play in encouraging the person with dementia to seek an explanation for their presenting (undiagnosed cancer) symptoms to their general practitioner. ‘Adjusting to the cancer diagnosis when living with dementia’ outlines a variety of emotional and practical responses to receiving news of the diagnosis. ‘Weighing up the cancer treatment options’ highlights the different decisions and circumstances that family carers and people living with both dementia and cancer are faced with post-diagnosis. ‘Undergoing cancer treatment’ shares the finding that cancer treatment decision-making was not straightforward and that people living with both dementia and cancer would often forget about their cancer and what procedures they had been through.
KW - dementia
KW - cancer
KW - adjustment
KW - decision-making
KW - qualitative
KW - experience
KW - information
U2 - 10.1017/S0144686X18001411
DO - 10.1017/S0144686X18001411
M3 - Journal article
VL - 40
SP - 944
EP - 965
JO - Ageing and Society
JF - Ageing and Society
SN - 0144-686X
IS - 5
ER -