Over four years, this Research Chair will extend gender science related to the dynamics of caregiving in an aging society
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Baumbusch, RN PhD
Funding: Canadian Institute for Health Research Sex and Gender Science Chair
Funding Year(s): 2020-2024
Study Overview:
Sex and gender shape the landscape of dementia care. In 2013, there were over 44million people living with dementia world-wide, of whom >60% were women, and this number continues to grow with our global aging population. Women are disproportionally more likely to be diagnosed with dementia; life expectancy and factors such as hormone changes over the life-course, contribute to this sex and gender-based difference. There is growing evidence that men, women, and gender diverse individuals living with dementia experience differences in the provision of health and social care. Similarly, gender shapes the experience of being a family caregiver for a person with dementia. It is estimated that between 60 to 70 percent of family caregivers for people living with dementia (PLWD) are women. Over four years, this Research Chair will extend gender science related to the dynamics of caregiving in an aging society by focusing on aging Canadians living with progressive dementia who rely on support from family and friend caregivers (hereafter referred to as family caregivers) with the aim of generating knowledge that will optimize their informal and formal supports to ensure they can live in their communities until end-of-life.
The specific objectives are to: 1) generate new knowledge about the role of gender and gender norms on the experiences of community-dwelling men, women, and gender-diverse individuals living with moderate-to advanced dementia and their family caregivers as they negotiate care work in the community and, concomitantly, navigate healthcare services; 2) develop ethical and inclusive research strategies for meaningfully engaging PLWD and their family caregivers in gender science; 3) translate research findings into recommendations for gender-informed policies to guide services and supports that address the dynamics of caregiving in an aging society; 4) build capacity for sex and gender science among the next generation of researchers.
Knowledge Translation:
Publications:
Baumbusch, J., Cooke, H.A., Seetharaman, K., Khan, A., Basu Khan, K. (early view, June 2022). Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 public health measures on community-dwelling people living with dementia and their family caregivers: a longitudinal qualitative study. Journal of Family Nursing. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10748407221100284
Selected Presentations:
Baumbusch, J., Cooke, H.A., Basu Khan, K. & Seetharaman, K. (July 5, 2021). A longitudinal exploration of community-based caregiving for persons living with dementia during COVID-19. Thinking Qualitatively Virtual Conference. Online.
Baumbusch, J., Cooke, H.A., Basu Khan, K. & Seetharaman, K. (July 8, 2021). Compounding losses: The experiences of people living with dementia and their family carers during a global pandemic. British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference. Online.
Baumbusch, J., Cooke, H., Seetharaman, K. & Khan, K. (October 20 – 23, 2021). When help is not helpful: Community-based supports for people living with dementia. Paper presented at the 50th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology. Online.