The project will combine linguistic, social, and gerontological perspectives to study interaction between healthcare practitioners and family members of people with dementia. The subject is of topical relevance due to the ongoing crisis in elderly care in Finland. It is also a new one, as the interactional role of family members in dementia care has previously received little attention. The project will analyze 1) video-recorded data of authentic interaction in dementia units, 2) survey data on the experienced quality of interaction, and 3) focus group interviews to uncover institutional conceptions concerning family interaction. The methods applied in the study will consist of multimodal conversation analysis and content analysis. The project will promote implementation of the results by producing educational material for healthcare practitioners and for The Alzheimer Society of Finland. The project will be carried out at the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Turku.

2020

2023