Grant: Chair: CIHR Sex&Gender Science Chair- Dynamics of Caregiving in an Aging Society

Gender is widely recognized as a key factor in the experience of living with dementia and caring for a person living with dementia. With the rising number of people living with dementia, accompanied by growing demands on family caregivers, it is timely and important to focus greater attention on examining gender in the context of these experiences. Most people with dementia understandably have a desire to live in their homes until the end of their lives. However, this desire requires a myriad of supports - in the form of health and social care services, as well as family caregiver support. Examples of health and social care services includes: adult day programs, home care, and respite, as well as primary care, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. As dementia progresses, the need for health and social care and family caregiving becomes more complex. To date, there has been limited attention to the role of gender in shaping these experiences. In this program of research, I will examine the gendered experience of people with living with moderate-to-advanced dementia and their family caregivers as they negotiate care (e.g. decision-making, allocation of care work) and navigate services in the community. This program of research will generate new knowledge about the complex journey of people living with dementia and their family caregivers, including how men, women, and gender diverse individuals experience this journey in similar or different ways. Knowledge translation activities will focus on sharing findings with policy/decision-makers, healthcare planners and providers, and, importantly, people living with dementia and their family caregivers to improve the processes of negotiating care and navigating health and social care in the community.