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Volume 8

Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism

ISSN: 2161-0460

Dementia 2018

October 29-31, 2018

October 29-31, 2018 | Valencia, Spain

12

th

International Conference on

Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia

Dementia and the cycle of role reversal: Always a matriarch

Naomi Lilly

Duke University, USA

M

y grandmother is an 88-year-old African American woman with dementia. My project seeks to explore the role

dementia has played within my family, specifically, how the cycle of role reversal has shaped the matriarch position

my grandmother once held within my family. Discussion of the topic will be facilitated by my grandmother, her children

and grandchildren. Literary works include publications that focus on dementia as a symptom and dementia as it pertains

to the role of caretakers. These works were used to demonstrate differences between written text and what it means to face

dementia outside of text. The final project will take the form of a documentary that seeks to capture the emotions and realities

my family has to face as a result of my grandmother’s condition. The documentary is different from a paper in many ways, it

serves as a case study that helps to build personality and impact. This personality and impact will ultimately help viewers paint

an image of what life looks like for a person with dementia and how the conditions that are attributed to dementia, impact

surrounding individuals (i.e., family). The documentary will be guided by the recognition of a role reversal and reflections on

memories before and after my grandma’s condition began and continued to worsen. These memories help to allow individuals

to recognize the changes dementia can have on what may be considered a person’s everyday routine. These memories will also

help viewers connect to the content due to the raw nature of the responses given by interviewees and the unfortunate realities

dementia presents. The analysis of the interviews I have conducted has portrayed general disdain for my grandma’s health

status, but a fondness and admiration that can be attributed to the way she has helped to unite and lead my family throughout

the years. This admiration was reflected heavily amongst my family members and their acceptance of the role reversal, due

to the nurturing my grandmother has provided us throughout the years. Evidence for this claim can be greatly attributed to

the heartfelt answers provided by family members. These answers help to paint the image of a matriarch and a change in the

hierarchal roles within the family at large.

naomi.lilly@duke.edu

J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 2018, Volume 8

DOI: 10.4172/2161-0460-C7-055