Asians

Informal caregivers are the family members and friends who provide help and support daily to individuals who are temporarily or permanently unable to function independently. They have to engage in a range of activities. They have a long term commitment to the persons they are helping and are usually not paid for their efforts. In certain Asian cultures, there is a peculiar concept that seems to be playing a great role in aiding people to adhere to their responsibility and derive satisfaction from their role of caregiving. This is known as filial piety.

Aim: To investigate the gains experienced by family caregivers of persons with dementia. Methods: Twelve respondents were recruited using purposive sampling from three institutions around Singapore. A qualitative design, guided by the grounded theory approach, was adopted and involved semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. Results: All caregivers interviewed reported having gained from caregiving.