Family members' experience of the pre-diagnostic phase of dementia: A synthesis of qualitative evidence

Abstract

Background: Most research on family members' experience of dementia has focused on the time after diagnosis. Yet, once people reach clinical attention, families have already been living with the changes for some time. These pre-diagnosis experiences can influence later caregiving. We aimed to synthesize qualitative research exploring family members' experiences of the pre-diagnostic phase of dementia to inform clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a thematic synthesis of 11 studies that met our inclusion criteria following a comprehensive literature search. Results: An overarching theme, sense-making, captured the primary process that family members engage in throughout the pre-diagnostic..