Book: Communication in Care

Most families are complex. Many families have issues that go back many years, and have personal issues that influence the quality of relationships. 

Our role with our families may be fundamental to our sense of who we are and how we fit into our given families and wider society. As each family is unique in its strengths and vulnerabilities, the effect of dementia on each member will be unique. 

For example,  a spouse with a chronic condition may not have been making decisions with regards to his wife who has dementia for many years; a younger daughter living away as a student may feel she needs to escape the family house; an older son trying to keep the family business going may not be aware of the changing needs of his mother; the middle child who has 3 children, one of whom has special needs, knows that her mother’s needs are increasing and knows she must find the time to address it, sometime soon.  

The changes that accompany dementia may represent a profound challenge to how most families function. Tensions among siblings or between parents and their adult children may add considerable stress to the primary carer, and in the end may erode the family’s ability to provide care. Families may argue over whether care is needed, how it should be provided and if people are contributing their fair share (Middleton – Green et al. 2017).

Previous family issues and individual coping styles (discussed in Unit 5) may be a feature of family dynamics.