Abstract
With the growing prevalence of dementia around the world has come a corresponding increase in the number of scientific investigations into late life cognitive disorders. In addition to fundamental inquiries about the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders, there has been a marked increased in qualitative studies designed to understand subjective experience of cognitively impaired individuals and their family members. This objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the current body of qualitative literature on cognitive impairment in four areas: (1) cognitive impairment and existential issues; (2) the diagnostic process and its impact; (3) functional impact; and (4) cognitive impairment and comorbid medical conditions. Synthesis of findings from 53 studies reveals that the experience and impact of living with late life cognitive impairment varies by contextual factors and stage of the illness, and may be influenced by encounters with health professionals. Implications for practice are provided with an emphasis on holistic and person-centered approaches to dementia care.
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Lingler, J.H., Hu, L. (2016). Qualitative Evidence in Working with Cognitively Impaired Older Adults. In: Olson, K., Young, R., Schultz, I. (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Health Research for Evidence-Based Practice. Handbooks in Health, Work, and Disability, vol 4. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2920-7_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2920-7_17
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