No abstract

The main purpose of this study was to understand the part played by clinical diagnosis in relation to persons with suspected dementia. Interviews were held with eight persons who had been evaluated clinically because of suspected dementia. A phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis inspired by Ricoeur's philosophy was performed. The findings revealed the overall meaning of "making sense" of early experiences of memory loss in terms of a clinical diagnosis by which participants are provided with a means of interpreting and ascribing some meanings to the changes in themselves. When a meaning cannot be established and the future is unknown, these experiences are found to pose an existential threat that projects into future existence. The study suggests that understanding how an informed diagnosis is comprehended by the client becomes essential when evaluating persons due to suspected dementia.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how one person experienced the early years of dementia as she was living through the pre-clinical and early clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Interviews were held on four occasions over a period of three years. The data were analyzed using the descriptive phenomenological psychological method, in which the researcher approached the data from a caring perspective. The lived experience of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease showed to be a complex transitional phenomenon that involves a dynamic process of personal adjustment. The process is set in motion as the participant receives the diagnosis and will eventually lead her towards a state of increased openness and receptiveness toward the disease. The results describe this process as it unfolds in the context of the overall experience, and the various adjustments that the participant undertakes. Some reflections concerning the plausible needs of patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease are included in the discussion.

No abstract