PhD defence Michiel de Graaff

Keywords: Dementia, Gender, Family care, Caregiving

"Who cares? Navigating gender roles and expectations in care and support for people with dementia"

This thesis examines gender and cultural differences in care and support for people with dementia and their caregivers. The first research question focuses on differences between men and women with dementia in their perceived quality of care and quality of life. Analysis of survey data of 450 people with dementia shows that men and women perceive a similar quality of care. Women more often receive household support, while men more frequently participate in peer group discussions. However, women report a slightly lower quality of life than men.

The second research question addresses differences among family caregivers. The findings from survey and interview data show that female caregivers perceive a higher care burden, provide more intensive care, receive less support from others, and have greater difficulty combining caregiving with other responsibilities than male caregivers. These gender differences were present among caregivers with and without a migration background. The findings highlight the need for gender sensitive support for family caregivers.

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