Dementia and Northern caregiving.

This research explores formal and informal caregivers' experiences providing care to individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia in the Northern Rockies District, a rural remote district in northern British Columbia. Textual information provided by caregivers participating in one focus group and four semi-structured interviews reveals a northern perspective of the caregiving experience. A thematic analysis identifies multiple themes. Two major themes associated with the experience of formal caregivers are: the facets of formal caregiving and community, whereas the four major themes associated with the experience of informal caregivers are: community and networks, communication, dementia and caregiving resources, and personal experiences of informal caregiving. Similarities and dissonances in the findings emerged in three main areas: with community understanding of dementia and emotions associated with caregiving. Formal and informal caregivers provide recommendations to help support caregivers living in northern British Columbia. These findings and recommendations have the potential to influence health related services, contribute to dementia care strategies, and complement existing planning for formal and informal caregiver supports in northern British Columbia. --P. ii.