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As a community-based long-term care alternative, subsidized senior housing helps socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults live independently and age in place. It is concerning, however, that cognitive impairment or dementia poses a risk for residents with dementia themselves and for others to live safely in senior housing where people live closely and the monitoring of individuals with cognitive impairment is limited. Using the qualitative research lens, the purpose of this study was to explore dementia-related safety concerns in senior housing from the perspectives of Korean American dementia caregivers whose care recipients were current or former residents of senior housing.
Methods:
The qualitative data were derived from the study with Korean American caregivers of family members with dementia. In the parent study, in-depth interviews were conducted in Korean with 16 caregivers in the greater Los Angeles area; the interviews were transcribed verbatim. The current study included nine caregivers whose care recipients were current or former residents of subsidized senior housing. Coding and data analysis followed the constant comparative method of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 2017). Data were coded, organized, and examined for patterns and relationships using Atlas.ti qualitative data software.
Results:
All participants (caregivers and care recipients) were born in Korea and spoke Korean as their primary language. The caregivers’ mean age was 58.3 years (ranging from 30 to 82). The majority were women (89%) and married (78%). Six were providing care for their own parent, one for a parent-in-law, one for a spouse, and one for a relative. The mean age of care recipients was 86.4 years (ranging from 72 to 99). The length of caregiving ranged from 2 to 16 years averaging five years. Major concerns emerged were: (1) fire risks, (2) wandering, (3) physical injury (e.g., self-harm, falls), and (4) potential neglect. Caregivers also mentioned errors in the self-administration of medications, potential financial exploitation, and interpersonal conflicts.
Conclusions and Implications:
The dementia caregivers in this study shared their experiences and observations regarding dementia-related safety issues and offered strategies for management in senior housing. The concerns about safety issues among dementia caregiver participants are in line with those found for the general older adult population including risks of fire, wandering, self-harm and falls, potential neglect, and other concerns as well (e.g., errors in self-administration of medications, potential financial exploitation, interpersonal conflicts). This study contributes to our understanding of concerns about the safety of people with dementia who live in senior housing. It also highlights the importance of collaborative efforts among residents, family members, and housing staff to ensure a safe environment for all. It is especially important to increase staff’s awareness, to offer training on dementia, and to build partnerships with dementia-specialized services across health and social care services. Services and programs tailored to the needs of persons with dementia for safety can help them age in place safely in their familiar setting.