Relational Solidarity and Conflicting Ethics in Dementia Care in Urban India

Bianca Brijnath, Rachita Rao, Upasana Baruah, Josefine Antoniades, Santosh Loganathan, Mathew Varghese, Claudia Cooper, Mike Kent and Briony Dow

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2024, vol. 79, issue 7, S53-S59

Abstract: ObjectivesUsing the concept of relational solidarity, we examine how autonomy, equality, dignity, and personhood are practiced in the care of people living with dementia at home in urban India.MethodsVideo interviews with 19 family carers and 25 health providers conducted in English, Hindi, and Kannada in Bengaluru between March and July 2022. Data were translated into English and thematically analyzed.ResultsFamily carers and providers unanimously agreed that people with dementia should be respected and cared for. Concurrently, they perceived people with dementia as being “like a kid” and used the analogy of a parent–child relationship to understand their care responsibilities. This analogy informed how ethical principles such as personhood and equality were reframed in the relationships between family carers and people with dementia, as well as how carers and providers maintained the safety but undermined the autonomy of people with dementia through restricting their movements inside and outside the home.DiscussionThere can be relational solidarity in dementia care at home in urban India but also contradictions in the interpretations and applications of the ethical principles of autonomy, equality, dignity, and personhood. As such, a more organic, grassroots model of ethical practice is needed to frame care and provide material support to families in India.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s; Cross-culture; Diversity; Families; Home (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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