Conducting interviews with people with dementia and their caregivers

Abstract

This case study provides an overview of my experience of conducting interviews with people with dementia and their caregivers. The research presented here was conducted as part of my PhD which focused on caregivers’ motivations for providing care, the meaning they find in caregiving, and their relationship with the person with dementia. I was also interested in exploring the perspective of the person with dementia on these issues. To explore these topics, my PhD incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods; this case study focuses on the qualitative study. This case study provides a brief overview of the areas my research focused on before outlining the process I went through to conduct these interviews. The case study examines some of the challenges of involving people with dementia in research and how research methodologies can be adapted to facilitate the involvement of people with dementia. This case study also explores the issues surrounding conducting interviews with both the person with dementia and the caregiver. Finally, in this case study, I provide some “tips” for conducting interviews based on my research experiences.