Living with Alzheimer's disease in Namibia : the adult child, the older parent and the decision to institutionalise

Abstract

Population ageing is a global phenomenon, and although a victory in development, it brings about several social, economic and cultural challenges. One of these challenges is the deteriorating health of older persons, which inevitably increases the demand for health care and long-term care services. Older persons become more disposed to ill health, and although mental health problems are not an inevitable part of ageing, the number of older persons affected by mental health problems continue to surge. As the number of older persons with dementia continue to rise, public health systems will be regularly weighed down by the need to deal with the care and treatment of those living with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is the most common type of dementia, is one of the most consuming mental health disorders that are diagnosed in older persons. AD is a family disease, and the impact of this neurological disorder is felt throughout the family system and all its subsystems. The purpose of this research study was to explore and discuss the experiences of adult children, who made the decision to place their parents diagnosed with AD in the specialised care facility, established by Alzheimer’s Dementia Namibia (ADN), in Swakopmund. Receiving a dementia diagnosis is not something one looks forward to, and when an older parent is diagnosed with AD the adult children experience numerous emotions. Persons with dementia (PWD) and their family members often find themselves alone in the dementia journey, and they receive little or no support when confronted with the many losses that occur as a result of the disease. Ideally, older persons want to live in their own homes with their families, but the harsh reality vi is that as the disease progresses PWD will need to be institutionalised to ensure that their specific care needs are met. One of the most difficult decisions that the adult child will eventually have to make is to place their older parent with dementia in a care facility. An in-depth literature study was done on AD as the most common form of dementia, the impact AD has on the parent-child relationship throughout the life cycle was explored, the need for specialised care facilities was discussed, and the effect that the rising number of PWD will have on the health care system of Namibia was reported. The researcher approached this study from the qualitative research approach, which allowed her to immerse herself in the experiential world of each participant. The empirical findings showed that AD is a family disease which negatively effects relationships throughout the family system, changes the dynamics of the family, results in great losses within relationships, and leaves the adult child with only a memory of who their parent once was. Participants affirmed that a huge gap exists in Namibia regarding knowledge and understanding of dementia, awareness raising, and quality dementia care. Although the study population was small, the data collected was rich and enabled the researcher to make recommendations for future research, practice and the Namibian government. The research question was answered in that the experiences of adult children, who made the decision to place their parents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the ADN Care Farm Namibia were explored; more research will need to be conducted to conclude these findings. Conclusions were deduced and recommendations made based on the results of this study.