A case study of a Chinese-Canadian daughter caregiving for her mother who has Alzheimer’s type Dementia (AD)

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases with advancing age. Persons with AD are often being cared for by family caregivers. Spouses, mostly the wives, are the largest group of family caregivers and daughters are the second largest group. With the aging population, family caregiving of persons with A D requires increasing attention and resources. In recent years, although the number of Chinese- Canadians has been increasing, the influences of culture on family caregiving have not been fully explored yet. To add to the body of knowledge that could lead to interventions that enhance dementia care, I explored the caregiving experience of a Chinese-Canadian daughter caring for her mother who has AD. I used a qualitative secondary analysis case study approach to explore her caregiving experience in-depth. Perry's (2004) primary data is adequate and appropriate for secondary analysis to explore how Chinese culture in a Canadian context influences caregiving This Chinese-Canadian daughter's caregiving experience had challenged her values and beliefs in gender roles in marriage, filial piety, and family values. However, having her feet in both Chinese and Canadian cultures had offered her more options to resolve the challenges. Caregiving is influenced not only by her cultural background but also by her previous family relationships, socio-economic status, formal and informal support, and the available health care and social services. The research findings of this case study support that caregiving is individual, dynamic, and multi-factorial. To care for the persons with AD and to support the caregivers, a person-centered approach with sensitivity to culture and gender is the key.Applied Science, Faculty ofNursing, School ofGraduat