Rationale and significance of the research topic I plan to conduct a study on the adjustment process of Vietnamese family caregivers of elderly with dementia in the urban area. There are different reasons for me to conduct this study, including intellectual and personal reasons. Those reasons combine together to motivate me to achieve new knowledge on my research topic.
Intellectual motivation Academically, dementia has been a major problem among elderly in the world as well as in Vietnam. Dementia, a chronic clinical syndrome, refers to “a progressive loss of cognitive function that impedes social functioning and daily activities of living” (Cheung et al., 2015, p.460). World Health Organization (2012) and Alzheimer’s Association (2013) predict that the global population affected by dementia might increase by 79.8 million people over nearly 40 years from 2011 (Cheung et al., 2015). In Vietnam, the population is expected to enter the aging phase with ten percent of older adults aged 60 and over in the country in 2017 at a much faster pace than other countries, such as Sweden, Japan, and Thailand (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Vietnam, 2010, 2011). Notably, dementia has been considered one of the …show more content…
Professionals demonstrate that dementia is one the most difficult illnesses for family to cope with (Baltes, 1996). Family caregivers often confront intensive burdens, morbidity, and physical, psychosocial and financial difficulties (Walsh, 1998) that affect quality of life of caregivers and care recipients (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009). Support for caregivers, however, maintains insufficiently. In Vietnam, social work roles have been omitted in the health care system for decades. Vietnamese caregivers, thus, do not know where and whom they could seek help
Intellectual motivation Academically, dementia has been a major problem among elderly in the world as well as in Vietnam. Dementia, a chronic clinical syndrome, refers to “a progressive loss of cognitive function that impedes social functioning and daily activities of living” (Cheung et al., 2015, p.460). World Health Organization (2012) and Alzheimer’s Association (2013) predict that the global population affected by dementia might increase by 79.8 million people over nearly 40 years from 2011 (Cheung et al., 2015). In Vietnam, the population is expected to enter the aging phase with ten percent of older adults aged 60 and over in the country in 2017 at a much faster pace than other countries, such as Sweden, Japan, and Thailand (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Vietnam, 2010, 2011). Notably, dementia has been considered one of the …show more content…
Professionals demonstrate that dementia is one the most difficult illnesses for family to cope with (Baltes, 1996). Family caregivers often confront intensive burdens, morbidity, and physical, psychosocial and financial difficulties (Walsh, 1998) that affect quality of life of caregivers and care recipients (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009). Support for caregivers, however, maintains insufficiently. In Vietnam, social work roles have been omitted in the health care system for decades. Vietnamese caregivers, thus, do not know where and whom they could seek help