The Sociocultural Context of Caregiving Experiences for Vietnamese Dementia Family Caregivers.

Abstract

The goal of this qualitative study was to describe the beliefs and experiences of Vietnamese caregivers caring for a family member with dementia and to elicit their ideas about promising interventions. We recruited 10 caregivers from support groups, the Alzheimer's Association, and local community-based organizations in Northern California. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with all caregivers, as well as a focus group to obtain ideas about supportive strategies. Several themes emerged from the data: (1) Filial piety was influential in caregiving; (2) A sense of loss/grief or trauma was pervasive; and (3) Caregivers had clear sources of stress and sources of support. An overarching theme underlying these three topics was that cultural beliefs, values, and expectations impacted the caregiving experience. Suggestions for promising interventions included education, language-congruent and/or telephone support groups, case management, inclusion of the care recipient in the intervention, and importance of credibility of the intervention. It also may be valuable to include an understanding of cultural values and promotion of spirituality and religion as key components. Findings highlight targets for dementia caregiver interventions to reduce burden and distress in an understudied population.