Perceptions of caregiving for people living with dementia and help-seeking patterns among prospective Korean caregivers in Canada

Abstract

Due to cultural influences, people from some ethnic minority groups expect to provide caregiving for their family members who suffer from illness. Little is known about the expectations about caregiving and the help-seeking process among the Korean population in Canada. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine perceptions of caregiving for people living with dementia and help-seeking patterns among prospective Korean caregivers who anticipate becoming primary caregivers of their older relatives with dementia. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in Montreal, Canada. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine prospective Korean caregivers. The interviews were analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis. This study found four emerging themes: (1) the importance of family care; (2) the ability to find resources outside of the family; (3) the roles of Korean churches as a support system and; (4) the perceptions of service providers and health care settings. The findings of this study suggest that linguistic support services enable family caregivers to access more health and social services. Resources may be more easily accessed by Korean communities when provided through churches.