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Description

Dementia is a progressive neurogenic disease impacting individuals younger than 65 years old who often are working, raising families, and contributing to society. Individuals experiencing early-onset dementia (EOD) gradually lose selfperception, and others including family may no longer perceive them as the people they once were. How can caregivers and therapists protect and preserve a sense of identity that will contribute to quality of life? Narrative research claims storytelling stitches together fragments of life and is a tool for understanding oneself and negotiating this with others. Understanding the impact of narrative shifts that reflect changing identity and personhood could facilitate person centered interventions designed to maximize quality of life along the dementia continuum.

This study aimed to map how personal and socially attributed identity shifted as everyday life changed over the dementia continuum. The goal was to determine if common narrative and life story themes marked key indicators of perceptions of self, others and everyday life roles.

Publication Date

2021

Publisher

College of Education and Health Professions Honors Program

City

Fayetteville

Keywords

Research-Based

Disciplines

Cognitive Science | Communication Sciences and Disorders | Medicine and Health Sciences

Comments

Advisors:

Fran Hagstrom, Ph. D.
Mohammad Haghighi, Ph.D.

Loss and Attainment of Identity for Individuals Experiencing Early-Onset Dementia

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