Narrative influences on northern BC women's experiences of caring for a spouse with dementia

This thesis explores the ways in which older women use reminiscence as a coping strategy while caring for a spouse with dementia. A sample of six women living in Prince George, British Columbia (BC) participated in one to two hour semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about their caregiving experiences, their reminiscence experiences, and how reminiscing has influenced their ability to cope with caregiving. All participants reported engaging in reminiscence to some extent and that reminiscing had a positive effect on their ability to cope with caregiving. Participants reminisced simply to remember positive experiences and reminisced purposefully to make sense of their circumstances, make decisions, or solidify a sense of identity. While further research is needed to determine how social workers and other professionals can encourage positive forms of reminiscence, it appears that caregivers are already making use of reminiscence as a coping tool.