Resilient Connections: Care Partner Networks in Dementia Care

Abstract

Research on dementia care partners often emphasizes the dyadic relationship, overlooking broader social networks that shape care partners’ well-being and resilience. This study examines how social network composition and quality influence care partner outcomes. We conducted ego-centric social network structured interviews with 179 unpaid care partners of individuals living with dementia. We used regression models to test our hypothesis, with hierarchical models incorporating covariates followed by network features. Findings indicate participants who reported greater network quality also reported larger social networks and greater network demographic similarity, with older participants also reporting greater similarity. Those who showed greater network quality and perceptual affinity reported enhanced well-being and resilience and lower burden, with care partner tenure also positively related to resilience. As such, higher-quality networks are associated with larger and more demographic similarity. Further research should explore which dimensions of perceptual affinity most strongly influence care partner outcomes.

Keywords

dementia care partners resilience social networks ego-centric network dementia

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