Abstract:
Through the years, the number of dementia sufferers increases, foreseen to continue on in the future. The Philippines is not an exception to the rule as the general trend of growth suggests that by the year 2050, one-fourth of the population would be 60 years and above, increasing their risk at this neurocognitive disease. This consequently implies the need for more people equipped to take care of them if the time comes. Providing care for elderly people diagnosed with later stages of dementia is a difficult task, and in the country like the Philippines where family ties are binding and reciprocity is considered as one of its core values, these people are left to the care of the family members, most commonly the daughters. The present study aims to explore on the lived experiences of Filipino adult daughters with families of their own in being the primary caregivers to their elderly mothers clinically diagnosed with the later stages of dementia (Stages 5, 6, or 7) caused by Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease through a qualitiative cross-sectional study using the phenomenological approach. To do this, the researcher utilized observation, photo documentation, and in-depth interviews to capture the phenomenon through the eyes of ten (10) willing participants. Coded thematic analysis has been utilized to explore on the phenomenon, and together with observation and documentation, garnered a total of fourteen (14) themes. The results show that complex as it may seem, adult daughters, with families of their own, who have taken in the role of being the primary caregivers of their mothers diagnosed with dementia, go through more or less the same process of thinking, reacting, and behaving, having its toll as well on the physical, mental, and emotional health of said mothers with dementia because of the quality of relationship with their daughters and the provisions of care they are receiving. Furthermore, the families of the daughters do not stand idly by, as they are also part of the equation, whether voluntarily or not. For these reasons, it may be concluded that while the adult daughters identify to be the primary caregivers, caregiving within dementia is also a family affair and must also further be a community affair.
